Here's to a big ‘ol Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Mamas out there! Today is your day. As we focus our attention in a more self-lesly manner 364 days of the year to our family, today is your day to act selfishly. Today is all about you. It’s one day, no matter what…the focus should be on you. Take time to do something you love to do alone, just you. For me this involves, sipping a Matcha Almond Milk Latte in my robe and not rushing out the door. What is it that makes you happy? It’s important to take time to reflect on the past 364 days of the year and decipher what has made you happy and what hasn’t’. Your family’s happiness relies on your happiness. Ask yourself: Do you have balance in your life OR do you need to find ways to create more? Do you want to work out more, eat healthy and focus more on your overall health? Do you take time for you throughout the year to meet your needs? Making time for YOU does not mean that you are a “bad mom.” Instead, it means the exact opposite. It means that you want to be the BEST version of YOU, so that you can be your BEST version of a MOTHER for your kids. As mother day approaches, I like to spend some time thinking about myself, and my parenting experience. I like to ask myself the tough questions in order to make growth for the following year. The questions I am personally asking myself this year are as follows:

• Am I creating a childhood for my kids that are full traditions to give them lasting memories?
• During the tough situations, am I responding to my kids in a positive, firm, fair and effective manner to help them learn from each moment?
• Am I simply doing enough?
• Am I supporting my son enough throughout his battle with anxiety?

PHEW…just asking these questions makes me hold my breath, tense up, and begin to feel worried about the answers I will have. Will I be failing myself is my initial concern. But… Then I stop and take a deep breath.  I remind myself that failure leads to success. Taking time to notice areas where we need growth will encourage us to make change. Change is good. Change is where we work to become our best self. As I reflect on my questions I know that I am not alone. I know that there are mamas around the globe who have areas where they need to make improvements just like me. Taking time to make personal changes and create balance in your life will directly help improve your parenting experience. Don’t sweep yourself under the rug and don’t forget about how important you are. Being a mom is very difficult job. It requires you to work around the clock and it’s tied to your emotions. This combination causes us to over-react to our kid’s outbursts and ourselves. We beat ourselves up when we make a mistake. When we have a moment that’s not our personal best, we have trouble letting it go. Instead this year, for 2018-2019, I want you to do what we teach our kids to do. Learn from our mistakes. Mistakes and faults lead to success. Recognize where you want to work on you. Reflect on your level of balance. Find ways to take and make time for you. Work to be your personal best and work to make changes in your parenting where you reflect change can be made. Know that you are not alone and know that other mamas are in your same boat travelling the same deep waters. Knowing that we have a few crewmates aboard makes the journey a little less strenuous. It eases our fears and opens our hearts. Motherhood takes a village and you are a part of that village!