Learning to Be a Mother

A mother is something that many women turn into, yet they don’t necessarily learn how to do it. It’s certainly no easy task and it isn’t always a case of instinctually picking up what is required of being a parent. Instead, being a mother is something that women with children must learn to do. Mistakes will be made along the way, and that’s okay. As long as the mistakes are identified, addressed, and not repeated, every experience is a learning curve. Listed below are some of the most important steps that women should take when learning to be a mother.

Putting Your Child First from Conception

One thing that seems alien to non-mothers, is that mothers must put their children above everything and everyone, including themselves, right from conception. This means attending all the necessary appointments, such as the 12-week scan and prenatal paternity test. Additionally, you must refrain from anything you enjoy that may harm the baby like smoking, drinking, and even caffeine intake. Once the baby is born, you’ll need to cater to their every whim and make sure they’re changed and fed whenever they need it. Even when they’re old enough to do everything for themselves, good mothers will always put their children first.

Giving Plenty of Affection

Affection is incredibly important to a child’s development, and their interaction with such will affect their relationships in later life. With this being said, there’s no one way to give affection, and every child is different. For instance, some children with conditions such as autism may struggle with traditional forms of affection. It’s important not to force your child into situations that make them uncomfortable, but rather find modes of affection that are best suited to them. Similarly, it’s important not to push children into doing things that they really don’t want to do, as this interferes with their understanding of consent.

Loving Your Child Unconditionally

Children will make mistakes and sometimes they’ll say and do things that really hurt. Despite this, it’s your duty as a mother to love them regardless of what they do and also make it known to them that you’ll love them no matter what. If a child believes that you’ll love them regardless of what they may do, they won’t be as hesitant to come to you when they really mess up. As with all families, there will be times where you don’t particularly like your child, but even in these moments, your love for them must remain.

Enforcing the Importance of Experience Over Things

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to provide your child with all the latest toys and games, that’s great, and you shouldn’t be penalised for doing so. Despite this, you should also make sure that your child understands that things and possessions are not what’s important about life. You should always enforce that experiences are much more valuable than even the most expensive of goods. Children don’t understand the value of money, and this can be really positive, as you can encourage them to see the value of experience over financial worth.

Give Praise

Praise is imperative when it comes to nurturing a child, and it shouldn’t be withheld from them. It acts as a form of positive reinforcement, and if they’re recognised for doing good, they will continue to do so. Similarly, receiving praise contributes to one’s confidence, meaning a child who gets praised for their achievements will continue to endeavour towards new goals. Most importantly, it’s vital to praise effort over results, so that children understand that it’s okay to fail and not get disheartened by it.