We’ve all felt it. All us women have bent under the weight of it.
The pressure for moms to do everything just right. The push to be perfect.
I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I tried to meet the unrealistic expectations. To keep a squeaky clean home. To turn out well-behaved, academically-advanced children preschoolers. To cook tasty, healthy, budget-conscious meals seven days a week. And to do it all looking great!
But you know what happened. I did my best, but I wasn’t perfect. I messed up and so did my kids.
Looking back now, I know that the greatest pressure to be perfect came from me. I was pushing myself too hard and expecting too much.
There is a brand-new resource for moms I wish I’d had back then. In “Confessions of a Wonder Woman Wannabe,” author Jenny Lee Sulpizio gives moms practical advice from a Christian foundation. Her helpful hints are shared with honesty and humor.
Jenny tackles topics from the best way to manage drive time and peeing in peace to handling homework, meal planning, stress, and more! She also shares wisdom to not only help moms continue to pursue Jesus but also gives tips for moms to help the kiddos fall in love with Jesus too. And today, you have a chance to win a copy! (Be sure to read to the end to find out how!)
Here’s a sample:
Our faith, our passion for Christ, and our adoration for all things biblical is a love that must be shared with others. As mothers, the first disciples of Christ we look to create should be those of our offspring. We are raising the next generation of Christ followers, which means that every aspect of our children’s journeys in faith should be focused on the truth as depicted in the Bible. This is a routine that needs to be shared, and impressed upon your sweet children, as well. Luckily, I’ve got tips to do just that.
That’s why we pray: Get your days, and those of your children started off right by spending time in prayer with them each morning. Ask God for strength, wisdom, and protection over those little guys of yours. And pray that they will honor God in everything they do. Include Scripture in their lunchboxes, along with notes of encouragement and love. Follow this up at dinnertime with prayers of gratitude and appreciation. Teach them that one can never pray enough, and to pray hard and pray often.
Word up!: The use of chalkboards within the home are all the rage these days. Well, why not use one of these fun boards as a means to present Scripture to your children each and every week? Every Monday, select a verse from the Bible and spend the rest of the week committing those words to memory as a family. Discuss this verse daily. Ask your children questions about the meaning behind the words selected and how they can be applied to each of your lives. Get your kiddos discussing God, memorizing Scripture, and get them further in touch with their spirituality.
Daily Devotionals: I’ve already mentioned praying together, but investing in a devotional geared toward your children is yet another way that they can further their walks with God. Devotionals such as these are not only age-appropriate, but can assist your child with exploring biblical passages in depth and applying them accordingly. God online or visit a Christian bookstore near you for your best options when it comes to purchasing a children’s devotional.
Hump Day hallelujahs: Obviously, Wednesday is smack-dab in the middle of our calendar week, which makes it the perfect night to bring your family together to spend some time with on another. After homework is done and dinner is finished, after baths have been taken and the kids are winding down (yah, right), use this designated time to play games, watch a movie, pray, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Heat up some popcorn, sip on some hot cocoa, and make it a night your kids can look forward to experiencing each and every week. They’ll relish the moments spent together as a tight-knit clan, soaking up the Word and one another.
Jenny’s book gives moms permission to be less-than-perfect while giving us encouragement and practical help to be our best. “Confessions of a Wonder Woman Wannabe” is well worth your precious time!
Want a chance to win a copy of “Confessions of a Wonder Woman Wannabe” for yourself? You can enter up to three times. First, respond to one of the following questions in the comments section. Second, like Jenny’s Facebook author page and tell me you did in the comments. Third, sign-up for Jenny’s newsletter, then tell me about it in the comments! Contest ends at noon on Thursday, September 26!
What’s the toughest area for you as a mom? What message do we hear from the world that we most need to ignore?!
Jenny Lee Sulpizio is a wife and mother of three who enjoys writing about anything and everything under the sun, but especially loves to instruct, motivate, and guide other moms with practical advice, tips, and a whole lot of comic relief in the process. Jenny is a contributing writer for The MOB Society and Moms Together, and is the author of the recently released guide for all mamas titled, “Confessions of a Wonder Woman Wannabe: On a Mission to Save Sanity, One Mom at a Time.” To find out more about Jenny or to follow her blog, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
The toughest area for me as a mom is parenting in fear. When I parent out of fear of what could happen to them or the bad choices they could make, I get emotional and end up pushing them away. Need to parent more out of faith. Working on it. A message I believe we hear from the world that we most need to ignore involves the idea that we have to like anyone else, the idea of comparisons. Television gives us one idea. Our friends give us more ideas. Books. Movies. Magazines. The Bible. Instead of thinking we have to be exactly like anyone else, let’s instead focus on the ideas God presents and work towards those realizing that He doesn’t expect perfection but that He does desire us to allow Him to work in us.
Kari, that’s great advice! I love this: “Focus on the ideas God presents… that He does desire us to allow Him to work in us.” God is able in all areas of our lives. Even our parenting! You are entered to win!
Well I’ve only been a mom for 9 weeks now, but I think that the hardest part for me is comparison. I’m so tempted to compare myself to other moms, and sometimes feel like I’m not as good of a mom as they are because I do something different than they do or because my baby is more fussy than theirs! The crazy thing is that it’s not something anyone makes me feel… It is just all in my head! I’m going to start early on as a mom reminding myself that God has equipped me to be my baby’s mom and not to let myself get discouraged by comparing myself to what others are doing, because I know and will figure out what’s best for my baby, and they know what’s best for theirs! I am always thankful for experienced moms’ advice, but I will not get discouraged by comparing myself to them if my way or my baby is different! Thanks for the encouragement that it’s ok not to be perfect!
Hi Melissa, thanks for coming by! It’s great that you’ve already realized this tendency. Keep that in mind and you’ll save yourself a lot of grief in the future! You’re entered for the drawing!
Oh- and I liked her page on Facebook too!! 🙂 I would love to read her book! Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
Now you’re entered twice!
As a young mom, I feel one of the most prevalent messages coming from the world is stemming from the “mommy wars”. Mothers bickering over the best way to raise/feed/discipline/socialize/etc. their children, to the point of blatantly saying “anyone who doesn’t do things the way I do is wrong.” This feeds a woman’s insecurities and fuels the need to feel perfect and excel at everything. While I actively strive to educate myself on how to raise a healthy family, I have to constantly remind myself that I need to tune out the messages that there is one right way to parent, and that way is to be perfect. I’m learning that parenting is a whole new situation in which I have to preach myself the gospel daily. Christ already died to cover my failings as a mom!
P.S. I liked her facebook page too!
AMEN.
Kelley, thanks for bringing up the mommy wars. That’s a whole new level of competition. Mothering is hard enough! You are entered in the drawing. You’ll have to comment a second time about liking her FB page to be entered again. The plugin puts your name in for each separate comment!
I think the toughest area for me, as a mom (and as a human) is prayer. I have a really hard time remembering to simply pray about things instead of “fixing” them (or attempting to) myself… It seems like that should be a given for a Christian woman who’s BEEN a follower of Christ for over two decades… yet it is still a huge struggle for me…
I’m working on setting up small reminders throughout our home so that I am reminded often throughout our days!
(P.S. I signed up for the email list and “liked” her page, too) 😉
Denise, I love that you have prayer reminders throughout your house! Great idea for all of us! You are entered!