A letter to moms

To the moms of brand new babies: You are tired, and exhausted, and you are constantly second guessing yourself about everything. Trust your mommy instincts. You are doing better than you know. The night-time feedings are hard, and you are probably hoping they end soon so you can get your sanity back...but they will end, you will feel like a million dollars from a full nights sleep--but just a little warning, you will miss those sweet moments in the dark feeding your baby. Don't wish them away too quickly.

To the mom of toddlers: You are probably loving watching your children grow and learn, but didn't know they could be so crazy. Don't be embarrassed when your child acts out in public. It is NORMAL. Just discipline them as you would at home. Don't worry about what the other moms think, you know what is best for your own child. Enjoy the time teaching them their colors, numbers, and letters, and have them sit on your lap as often as possible. Before long they won't fit anymore. Read to them, and let your own imagination soar with them. Don't let the worries of life let you miss out on these moments. You are doing better than you feel, and your child thinks you are their world.

To the mom to teens: Your children are at a cross-roads. You are probably sad that they have grown up so much, yet so thankful you've been there to see them change and grow, and learn new things. They are at such an important age, and they need to know that you are proud of them. Don't try to be their friend. They don't need a friend, they need you as their parent guiding them to their soon adulthood. Give them responsibilities, they can handle more than you think. Soon they will leave for college, or work, and they will finally appreciate all that you have done for them.

To the working moms: You are probably heart-broken to go back to work and not have every second with your child, but you are doing what you think is best to help provide for them. They will appreciate your sacrifice (when they are older). Cherish your time with them when you are home. Don't let the distractions of social media and television steal those moments. Enjoy the time you can have adult conversations at work, but be ready to get down on your hands and knees to jump into your child's world when you get home. Don't bring the stress of the job into their world.

To the stay at home moms: You are probably lonely. Play dates are harder than they seem like they should be and conversations are always choppy. You clean the house just so it can be messed up again, you fold clothes just for them to get dirty again, and you probably feel unappreciated. In those moments, look into the eye of your beautiful baby, or wild toddler and breathe. You can do this. You are their most important person-- even though they don't know how to say it. You will know when they scrape their knee, and you are the person they run to. Hug them and kiss them as much as you can, and put down the dishrag and sit on the floor and play with them when you can.

To the work at home moms: you probably feel crazy at all times because you are trying to juggle a job, the house work, and playing with your kids--but try to be focused wherever you are. Play with your kids when it is time to play, work as hard as you can while they are sleeping, and have them join in cleaning as though it is a fun activity. Your house may be messy sometimes, and you might feel as though you aren't focused...ever...but that's ok. When your kids leave for school, and the house is quiet to work, you will miss the laughter that once seemed distracting. Don't push yourself so hard at work that you miss out on the reason you are home.

To all mommies: Celebrate your accomplishments. Your children are the very best accomplishment you have. You might think back to the time before them, and long for just a few minutes of silence (or peeing by yourself without a toddler coming in) but these are the most precious moments of your life. Don't let anyone make you feel bad when you are making the decisions that you think are best for YOUR child.

And for goodness sakes--celebrate other mommies too. Stop comparing your parenting to theirs, stop comparing your children to theirs, and enjoy the moments we have at this amazing time in our lives. Stop the mommy bullying because it is only hurtful--we are in this together.