4 Things Stay-At-Home Moms Need

Mother’s Day is today. I’m not a mom—but I am a dad. Parents, whether male or female, can relate to many of the same struggles we all face as parents. I know there are many single moms out there doing the best they can, and I want to give them some principles today that have helped me as a father.

1) Persist Until Successful.
The ability to persist on a given path regardless of setbacks is a trait every mom should have. Children seem to display the quality of persistence innately until they see via socialization, parenting, or both, that it’s not how most people act.

Has your kid ever kept asking for something, and kept at it, and at it, until you finally gave in? They have persistence to get what they want.

Be more persistent than you are talented and you’ll go further. Be a persistent mom in life to train your kids in the right path. Motherhood takes persistence, and as a mom you should already know this. How many times have you given up on something with your kid before there was success? Persist until you succeed.

2) Say “Yes” — Don’t say “no” until you have to.
“Yes” is so much more positive, isn’t it? So often moms get in a habit of saying “no” all the time and they start saying it even for things that they could have said ok to.

“Don’t put that toy on the chair!” Why? Is it an ethical issue, or do you just have a personal nuance that this particular thing shouldn’t be done? You have 100 reasons why something can’t or shouldn’t be done, but are they really good reasons? Try holding back on the “no’s” until you must say no. There are a million opportunities to say “no” as a mom, but why not start saying “yes” sometimes and see how your child reacts?

3) Be interested in results.
Quit patting yourself on the back for trying and save your rewards for actual accomplishment. Successful people don’t value the effort or work or time spent on an activity; they value the results. It may sound harsh, but if your child grows up to be a problem for society, does anybody really care if you “tried”? It’s about taking responsibility and the fact that results are in the end all that truly matter. Effort is only to make sure you have the results you need, otherwise it’s wasted energy.

4) Be Uncomfortable.
Unsuccessful people in whatever walk of life seek comfort because discomfort is not pleasant. Yet, to be successful, you have to put yourself in a place that isn’t comfortable. Whether moving to a new city or calling someone, it’s never “comfortable” when it’s unfamiliar. Thinking as a mom, if you are getting too content, that could be a sign that you aren’t making yourself uncomfortable, and therefore you aren’t stretching yourself and growing as a mother.

Moms that persist until they succeed, who say “yes” to life and are interested in results, and are willing to get uncomfortable will not just improve as moms, but in life.

Happy Mother's Day.

Be great,

GC