Motherhood... the ultimate competition

Why are we so competitive as mothers? Why do we have the need to prove ourselves to others? Why must be always compare our children... our parenting styles... to others? Why must we always berate and belittle other mothers who are having a hard time or don't do things the way that we do?

I have always found this rather odd... yet, I also find myself caught up in this mess. I don't know why I feel that my children have to be better than everyone else's... why my children have to reach every milestone before every other child does. I don't know why I feel like I have to be a better mother than other mothers... or have all the answers. Honestly, getting caught up in all of it makes me feel even more stressed. I feel like I have to be the better mother... mother of the year. And sadly, I fall way short of that often!!

The really sad thing is the disservice myself and many other mothers do by trying to hide our faults and failures and struggles. Why can't motherhood be a learning experience, where we share what we are struggling with? Why can't we share our failures? Our fears? Why can't we use these as learning experiences? Why can't we use motherhood as a way to reach out to other mothers and form this strong bond where we become allies and cheerleaders for each other... where we help strengthen each other so that our children and ourselves can be even better?

That is my dream... a world where we as mothers can allow ourselves to be open and vulnerable to each other... to share our fears, our struggles, our frustrations, our joys, our successes, our questions... where we can learn from each other, give each other helpful advice instead of criticizing... where we can strengthen and support each other on this most difficult journey. And if this can't happen for the entire world, I wish it would happen in mine! I wish I could find a group of mothers to surround myself with where we could lean on each other and grow together.

So, I do have a challenge to any mother reading this: Let's change the way we communicate with each other! Let's change the way we look at each other! Instead, let's support each other. Let's stop the judging and just admit to each other that we ALL make mistakes and that we ALL don't have the answers. Will you join me on this journey? Will you join me in being vulnerable as a mother? Will you support me instead of criticise me? Will you help me grow as a mother? Will you journey along with me and choose to learn and grow and become the mothers that we long to be?