A Whole Bunch of MomSense!

    There have been many times I’ve left the park, grocery store, and several other public places with my tail tucked between my legs, ashamed of how I failed to parent; wondering what God ever saw in me to make me fit as a mother. Have you had those days? You know the kind where you put your foot down, set a boundary, which results in your children smelling your fear and pushing the envelope because they know you will cave? Have you had other moments when you unsure how to parent your child; teetering between seemingly sound advice from a friend and your inner voice screaming it won’t work? Guess what mom, you aren’t alone, I’m right there with you!

   Frustrated I would read books, parenting articles, or ask advice only to have it backfire in ways I never expected. The ironic part is deep down I knew it would.  After twelve years of trying everybody else’s advice and parenting methods, did I finally decide to trust my own instincts. I had an epiphany late one night after winning a standoff with my daughter. I realized I needed to have confidence in my skills as a mom. After all, if the God of the universe thinks I can mother my children, then just maybe I can! It also helped (immensely) that I had the opportunity to read and apply Jean Blackmer’s book, MomSense throughout the summer.  ‘Mom-huh,' you might be asking? MomSense is trusting your own mothering instincts and applying common sense, creating MomSense.

    If you’re a mom overwhelmed with articles, blogs, magazines and mountains of books on the how-to’s of parenting, then it’s time to take a step back and zero in on what Jean had to say about mothering. What I loved about Jean's insight is that she suggests we embrace our mothering instincts and stand on the confidence that God created us with the right tools to mother our children.  When we tune out all the types of parenting methods, and tune into our heavenly father while trusting our instincts, we find ourselves mothering with confidence.

    Granted we may not always have the answers and it’s helpful to know we aren’t alone while we navigate the territories of motherhood. Once we feel like we’ve found a groove, the rhythm is interrupted by a new skill or behavior our kids have learned. As Jean writes, we need to grow our Momsense and trust it with each new stage, not being afraid to ask for advice when needed. She also reveals that we are not alone in the questions we have or the stages we face. Using answers and comments from moms all across the country, she not only gives us insight and advice to mothering; it strengthens confidence in ourselves. We find that we are not alone in our questions and wanting to be the best we can be for our children.

    Now days when I venture into public with my children, I’ve come to expect that they will act like monkeys instead of children; however I’m not afraid to mother them with the MomSense that I’ve developed in areas like patience, consistency, and calling their bluff when needed. 

     If you are a mom full of questions about mothering, this book is perfect to read at leisure or in a small group. It's packed full of insight and encouragement to be the mother God created you to be. So, my fellow blogger moms, here are a few questions to get the discussion on today's post started:

•  As a mother, what areas in mothering do you feel like you have no clue how to parent?
•  What mommy issues make it difficult for you to keep in perspective?
•  If you could ask the author one question about mothering, what would you ask?
•  How has the book, MomSense grown your confidence as a mom?