Mom Rules

Mom's are given such a special job, to raise their children. You are their mom, teacher, and friend. You are their first love, first kiss, and the person that knows them the best. I'm so unbelievably blessed to be a Mom to four absolutely amazing children. Every day they make me laugh, smile, melt, cringe, gag, panic, and sometimes cry. 

I have the BEST job in the world!

1. Laugh with them! It might seem silly to you, but to them it's the funniest thing EVER, so give them a good belly laugh to go along with their giggling. Most of all, laughing with them shows them that life is fun and you enjoy it.

2. Hold their hand...not only in parking lots or crossing streets, hold their hand when you're snuggling on the couch, or brushing their teeth.

3. Put aside special time with just mommy. Every kid needs memories of alone time with their Mom's...and Dad's for that matter. So even if you have 10 kids, find time to spend alone with each of them.

4. No matter how busy you are, have days where you ask them what THEY want to do....and do it.

5. Let them have a pet. Every child should know the joy of having a pet and learn the responsibility of taking care of something. There's no better feeling than having a dog that you grew up with. We have a new puppy right now and I keep remembering the puppy we had when I was 10. I have no memory of the stresses I feel with this dog. Housebreaking a dog is tough. Feeling strapped down like I have an infant is tough. I don't remember that with my childhood dog, and I'm guessing my kids won't either. They will have memories of this companion that they love.

6. Teach them to eat veggies. Don't just hide veggies in their meals and snicker when you "pulled a fast one" on them. Start when they're young and they will learn that veggies are an important part of a healthy diet.

7. Read with them. Then teach them to read. Start them early to love reading and that will open up a world of knowledge to them for a lifetime.

8. Hug them. Hug them often. Hug them every.single.day. Hold them tight. Teach them to give good hugs back.

9. Teach them to love. Show them how much you love their daddy. Show them how much you love them. Teach them to have an open heart and love.

10. Teach them to cook. From an early age let them help in the kitchen. Give them kid friendly easy recipes to make on their own. Teach them young so they grow with a love of cooking. Their spouses will thank you =)

11. Teach them homemaking skills. Whether you have boys or girls, or both, knowing how to do dishes, laundry, and vacuuming will help them as they go off on their own and again, their spouses will thank you.

12. Take the back road. Don't always get on the highway and drive as fast as you can to get where you need to go. Sometimes, take the back roads. You may come across a cute little farm stand, or a herd of cows or sheep, or a pretty lake. There's a back road my kids love because there are tons of steep hills. It's not my favorite road to drive on but I can't resist the squeals and "Weeeeeeee's" I get when I come down those hills.

 13. Take them to the store. I cringe every time I hear a mom scream at her kids "See, this is why I never take you shopping!!!" It makes me so sad. Teach your kids good behavior in stores so you can take them anywhere. Going to the grocery store can provide so many lessons...healthy eating, label reading, price calculating and comparison, etc.

14. Teach them to be men/women. Be a good example of what they should strive to be when they grow.

15. Let them be little. They are only small for so long, let them live that life. Let them make forts in your living room. Let them slide down the stairs in sleeping bags. Let them play in the mud. Give them a tire swing, every kid should have one. Let them run around with their dogs. Take spontaneous trips to the park. Play games with them. Let them run, let them play, just let them be little...don't make them grow up too fast.

16. Teach them to work. Hard work is important in every part of life. Teach them early to work hard. Have them help daddy with tasks around the house. Give them age appropriate chores. But keep in mind that #15 is equally important...let them play hard too!

17. Expose them to music, art, and dance.

18. Teach them to grow plants, especially food bearing plants. Gardening skills are a gift that can last a lifetime. Being able to grow your own food not only teaches a child where their food should come from, but helps them to learn healthy eating habits. Everyone needs to learn how to get their fingers deep in the dirt and produce wonderful organic vegetables...hopefully.

19. Let them wear costumes and play dress up, often. Kids imaginations can soar when they have a costume on.

20. Take them camping. Don't like camping? Well sometimes as parents we need to do things we don't like to give our kids the experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Have a camp fire, make smores, hike, wade in creeks, catch those creepy things that swim in creeks, cook your food together, teach them to pitch a tent and collect wood, etc.

21. Take them to new places. It broadens their mind to see new places and have new experiences. Not to mention the memories you make also.

22. Teach them about nature...and get out in it. Play outside with them. Take them on hikes and nature walks. Teach them about wild plants. Pick wild berries, and eat them.

23. Teach them to play well with others. If they have siblings, teach them to play together. If they don't, get them together with other kids, often. No mother can concentrate on anything else if their kids are fighting all the time. Teach them to love each other and work together.

24. Let them get dirty. Some of the best times are had getting dirty. When I was little I would say "Mom look how dirty I am, I must have had lots of fun!" Splash in puddles, fingerpaint, roll down grassy hills, etc.

25. Teach them manners. Please, thank you, excuse me, bless you, open doors for others, hold doors for others, use quiet voices when necessary, respect others, etc.

I couldn't resist adding this picture