Super Mom

This term gets bantered about quite a bit.  I have been called Super Mom by my husband, family, and close friends.  At first it actually made me uncomfortable, like it was a standard that I felt was impossible.  I felt like if they think I am SuperMom then where is there to go from there.

 

I have come to terms with a similar term, Super Mom.  There is a difference.  SuperMom without the space is a super hero that does not exist.  This is an idealic persona that every mom strives to be, kind of like the Barbie doll of the mom world. 

On the other hand, Super Mom indicates a mom that is super.  A mom that is loved and appreciated by her family and friends.  A woman that is flawed, and makes mistakes, but still does her best to do what is right for her kids.  She is every mom that loves her kids, her husband, and herself.  She is every mom that works, stays at home, or works from home.  She is every mom that puts the needs of her family on the top of her priority list, and does what she needs to in order to raise good, contributing members of society.  She is real.

 

Being a SuperMom is like trying to be Batman, you can try but somewhere along the way the costume is going to get really hot and uncomfortable and you may not be able to get out of the Bat mobile very well.  And good luck fitting your groceries or soccer equipment in that thing.  At some point those moms that portray themselves as SuperMom have to come back to reality, and realize that they are Super Moms just like the rest of us doing our best. 

It is time we let go of unrealistic expectations and levels of performance that are just plain unattainable.  Do your best, that is all that anyone can do, their very best.  To continue to perpetuate a life in which we teach our kids there is no room for error is to err anyways.  We have to teach our children that is okay to screw up, we are human, it happens.  It is what you do with it that really matters.  Live life, learn lessons from your mistakes and others'.  Treat others the way you wish to be treated and you cannot go wrong.  

It is important for our children to see us fall every now and again so they can watch us pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and get back in the saddle.  They need to learn through example, and that example is always first and foremost their parents. 

So, I say, you can have the cape, the mobile, whatever super hero gadget or gizmo comes with the title.  You can have the super powers, including the x-ray vision.  You can keep the bat signal, the invisible plane, well wait, that would be really cool to have.  Especially with airlines charging so much to go anywhere nowadays.  Sorry, my train of thought derailed on me for a second there.  Anywho, keep your gadgets and gizmos, I will gladly keep my title of Super Mom over being SuperMom any and every day of the week.  I would rather be comfortable being me, flawed and imperfect, than to stress every day over trying to perpetuate a smoke screen of perfection.  It is far more fun and fulfilling this way in my opinion.