He Needs a Mom

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to be perfect; though, in his eyes, you already are.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you, as his mama-to-be, to eat all the “right foods” and steer clear of anything with a .0001% chance of being harmful to the little nugget. You’ll do it anyway (because you f*ckin rock), but even if you don’t, he’ll be fine.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to labor him au natural and sans pain meds, though if you can, that’s impressive. However, you’re also damn remarkable if you have a C-section, an epidural, a surrogate, or if your baby was delivered to you via a family services vehicle so that you can foster him. He just needs you.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to enjoy breastfeeding or even be any good at it. He doesn’t need you to torment yourself over his milk intake, though, you inevitably will.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to breastfeed at all. Formula-feeding is just fine mama, and so is the job you are doing.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to over-analyze his development and stress the heck out that his timing may be more his own than Dr. Spock’s, or even your expectations.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to lose any more sleep than you will already over whether or not he is too old to be wearing a diaper or still using a pacifier.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to worry daily about whether or not he gets enough of your attention, and the mere fact that such is even of concern to you means he is (or will) get enough.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you beat yourself up every time you raise your voice which will happen a lot.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to be happy every second of every minute of every day.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to make him the center of your world, but you will, and by doing such, you will show him the bounds of unconditional parental love.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you all of the time for everything, and though this will be a tough pill to swallow, you will gulp that truth down, and consume the fact that your young man is coming into his own.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to agree with all of his decisions, but he does require and deserve your guidance and support.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to give him too much space. While some distance is essential for both his journey and yours, as his mother you have every right to love him excessively, just as you should.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to berate him when he makes a mistake. He needs acceptance and aide.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need you to hide your mistakes and in fact, exercising ownership over your own flaws will breed within him the understanding that he can and should do the same.

He needs a mom.

He needs someone who values him. He needs someone who, for the rest of his life will happily claim the prime spot in his corner.

He needs a mom.

He doesn’t need perfect, and he doesn’t want perfect.

“Perfect” parents are a fallacy. They are a crock, and they don’t exist; and our children don’t need or want “Perfect Patty”.

That boy there — the one in your arms, sitting on your lap, across the couch, at his desk or in his car — all that boy needs is a mom and the day you birthed him, you became just what he needed you to be.

He doesn’t need anything else, so stop your worrying.