At SimplySmart, we appreciate that motherhood can come in different ways and pathways that we couldn’t have imagined and is a gift. We all have our own journey and story to tell. Becoming a mother or taking on a mothering role in various capacities is a life-changing yet rewarding experience and something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
The founder and CEO of SimplySmart Child Care Centre & Montessori, Harleen Laroia, has two children. Here she gives her honest reflection on becoming a mother.
“Regardless of what people tell you or what books you read, you can never be fully mentally prepared. Having a child is just the beginning. As much as I want to paint the picture of a glowing, smiling mommy, I was on a rollercoaster of emotions for the first two to six months. The physical and emotional demands never seemed to end. I’ve learned that every pregnancy is different. The emotional challenges don’t end. As your infant morphs into this wonderful human being, a mother always wonders if she is doing it right?? You always have to be cognizant that you are an influential part of your child’s life, their role model.” “What if a responsible mother is not the one who shows her children how to slowly die but how to stay widly alive until the day she dies? What if the call of motherhood is not to be a martyr but to be a model?” – Glennon Doyle in Untamed.
“One thing I learned very quickly after having my first child. If I didn’t take care of myself, I would not be able to give the loving and nurturing environment I wanted to my child.”
“An area that I find that is not openly discussed and sometimes overlooked is the parenting judgements that can come from others. As mothers we’ve all been in a situation where our child or children are misbehaving in public and we are the ones who have to deal with the looks and not so nice comments. It makes you feel like you’re a terrible mother and that you should be ashamed. I want you to know that it’s not you! Every child is different. We need to give mothers a break, stop judging and lend more support.”
In the last two and a half years, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted parents, especially mothers. Mothers suffered unemployment and had to stay home with the children managing their online learning, activities and schedules. Covid also added additional stresses to relationships and households. Sometimes the emotional and financial strain was so much so that many marriages ended in divorces or separations, posing extra challenges for co-parenting.
On this Mother’s Day, the team at SimplySmart Child Care Centre & Montessori would like to commend you for your efforts in supporting your children and say, bravo! You are enough! Today is a reminder of how you must be a role model and not a martyr for your child. On this special day acknowledge your needs and wants and take care of those in order to be able to take care of your child.
On behalf of all the staff and children at SimplySmart, we would like to wish everyone who is celebrating a very Happy Mother’s Day!
If you are looking to join a community created to help parents, we would like you to consider thinking of SimplySmart Child Care Centre & Montessori for your child and family needs. To learn more about our Play-Based or Montessori programs, please visit https://simplysmartchildcare.com/play-based-or-montessori/