Being a mom is an adventure with learnings, challenges, surprises, and many emotions every day, like a roller coaster. This is a short, very short, list of some moments that offer new or unique feelings that you discover once you are a mom. The intent of this is to remember our mom-journeys until this moment and see how much we have grown as a mother and as a person in terms of emotional intelligence.
So do you remember the feeling the first time. . .
- You heard “mama, mom, or mommy”?
- You left your kid to go to work?
- Your children got sick?
- You left your baby in the daycare or school?
- You travelled with no kids?
- Your kid told you he doesn’t need help with something like going to the restroom?
- You attended your kid’s rehearsal or competition?
- You got no sleep taking care of your sick child?
- Your kid felt out?
- You lost your mind and yelled?
- Your child walked?
- Your child cried because of what other kids said or did?
- You knew you were pregnant?
- You lost your baby?
- He or she views Santa or her favorite character in person?
- Your breastfeeding ended?
- You felt a kick being pregnant?
- Your baby met her/his sister/brother?
- Your kid had a tantrum in public?
My Two Very Different and Emotional Stories
The Happy One
One of the best experiences I have had as a mom was the first ballet recital from my daughter Emma. She started her classes in March, (right after my first 30 days of postpartum), after only 3 months later, she was performing as the youngest student in the Beauty and the Beast recital in the UTEP Magoffin Auditorium.
I have never been more proud and impressed than that day. She was an example of bravery and self-confidence. I graduated from UTEP with a Master’s Degree in my early 30s. That was my first time in one of the UTEP auditoriums, and my little girl did it in her first 3 years. (Happy tears appeared that time, and now.)
The Challenge
On the other hand, a 3-years-old-toddler needs much attention sometimes and limits. One day, she was a little bit disobedient, and she received a call that ended with an upset mom yelling, the very oppositive way to react and solve the problem. That was the first I heard an “I don’t love mom anymore” that resulted in a mix of feelings: guilt, disappointment, sadness, and anger. (This time a different kind of tears appeared.)
These are two very different stories in my short time as a mom. I am sure there will be many more in the future.
However, I learned the importance of how I need to address those good and bad moments because our children learn from us. They are learning by how we express and control our emotions and feelings what emotional intelligence is.
I am not an expert on the matter; however, we as moms have a responsibility to take care of our emotional intelligence and teach that to our children . . . all while experiencing the roller coaster of emotions that is motherhood.
