I was listening to the radio one morning and was very interested when they said they were having a woman on as their guest who wrote an article called Top 5 Mom Myths. What mom doesn't want to be reminded that they are doing things well and don't need to be perfect? However, I must say that I didn't agree with everything she had to say (surprise, surprise).

Myth #1 is that Mom's like their children all the time. I agree that we may not like our children all the time, but she never points out that we are to love them. All children do things that are disagreeable, but I think it would have been much better had she mentioned that they all need love no matter what. I also don't agree with telling your children you don't like them. Yes, something may slip out of your mouth sometime and that doesn't make you a bad mom, but encouraging it doesn't seem like the right thing to do either.

Myth #2 is that Mom's bond with their children immediately. On this point I agree with her. It may not happen instantly, but don't give up. Many factors contribute and you need to work at this relationship from the start just like any other relationship.

Myth #3 is that Mom's balance it all. On this point I also agree with her. She quotes a Dr. Sanford who says "We’re so sure that everyone else but us is doing a great job of balancing their lives." How true is that?!?!? It's hard to schedule time for you to relax when you're taking care of so many other people, but if you don't take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of them. How many times have we all heard that? I recently bought a planner geared towards moms. It has a place to do some meal planning, a pocket to keep loose papers, stickers for certain activities so you don't have to write so much and more. I could literally feel the tension leaving my body as I wrote things down in there. Making sure there aren't too many things on your plate and keeping what you do have under control are essential. I think that everyone should evaluate their responsibilities at least once a year if not more often to make sure that everything they're doing isn't too much. Another good point made is to lean on those around you. Don't be too proud to ask for help - we all need it sometime or another.

Myth #4 is that Mom's spend a lot of time with their kids and the kids enjoy it. On this point I think that each family situation is going to be different. I also think that this starts at a very early age. It is up to you as a mom to build good relationships with your kids from the start. Don't wait until later to try to worm your way into their lives by showing up around every corner.

Myth #5 is that Mom's always get support from other moms. I can't believe that people really think that will happen when there are so many different people in the world with so many different opinions. So I agree that it doesn't exist. A good point was made that not only applies here - most people criticize others because of their own insecurities. Be careful not to get offended too easily.

Of course this wasn't a Christian article, so there are things that I don't fully agree with, but overall this can be an encouragement to mom's who try to do it all.