I always dreamt of having daughters. As the saying goes, "a son is a son till he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life."
I wanted them close together as I never had that myself growing up. My wish came through and then some as I had three daughters within four years.
As exhausting and overwhelming as it was (still is), one thing really took me by surprise. That is how much they have taught me - a plethora of life lessons about myself, my husband, life and love.
Here are ten things they teach me daily.
Each day is a brand new day.
There is not one day that doesn’t start with them happy to see me. Even if we have had a rough night, even if I was cranky when they wouldn’t go to sleep the night before, all of that is forgotten and they are always happy to run into me smiling and singing good morning. Yesterday is the past and they teach me that each day is a new day and a fresh start.
There is good in every day.
On bad days when I feel like I am failing at parenting, my daughters remind me that there is good in every single day. If something doesn’t go to plan, they will usually say “Don’t worry mommy!” and quickly offer up a solution. They’re right - gratitude should always be the strongest voice in your head.
Be yourself.
Little girls are rarely worried about what other people think. My three daughters are all so different it really is incredible. They've all grown up in the same house and with the same parents, but they're all so very different.
A hug can fix almost anything.
There is not much you can't fix with a hug. My girls loved affection even from a young age. They teach me that there is always time for a hug. It brings me right back into the present moment, too.
Love is all you need.
My daughters teach me daily that love and laughter are really all you need. They don’t care about how much is in my bank account or if our house is as big as their pals' from school. They thrive on love, attention and affection and that is really all they need.
Forget about time.
Little girls don’t care about time. If you let them, they will give you all of theirs too.
Dance.
There is also nothing that can’t be fixed with a little dance to the 'Trolls' soundtrack around the kitchen.
Create your own happiness.
I love to watch my daughters draw pictures for me or make a card for their friends. The happiness and joy they get from doing it is infectious.
Hard work pays off.
Watching my daughters start to do school work or join an afterschool activity shows me that perseverance really pays off. They don’t get things right on the first few tries but does that ever stop them? Absolutely not!
I am a good mum.
If you don’t feel you are failing at motherhood at least every once in a while, are you even a mum? Yes, raising three strong, outspoken and opinionated girls can be challenging, but it also reminds me that I am killing it on the parenting front. It reminds me of the fact that they are all of these things, along with being kind, caring, compassionate which makes me sure I am doing things right, even when I don’t feel like it.
