DJC#009 – Dear Mamas: What Dads Can Appreciate & Learn from Moms

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing Mothers out there! Especially to my wife (pictured above) and my Mom. I have learned so much from both of these Mothers, which has helped guide me into the Dad that I am today.

As Dads, we can sometimes feel like we’re not quite sure what to do to support the Mother of our children. However, we can learn so much from them, our friends who are mothers, and our own mothers. This week I want to share some of the lessons we can learn from these incredible women and how we can actively involve ourselves in caring for our children.

Hey Mama

The mothers of our children are the ones who know them best. They’ve carried them for nine months and have been there for every milestone since. Moms have a unique ability to be patient with their children, even when they’re at their most frustrating. Becoming more patient with our kids is a mindset that we can all become better at. Moms just seem to be naturally better at it, but that doesn’t mean Dads can’t learn to match them. And don’t forget when your wife/partner is losing their patience, it’s WWE time – tag yourself in and take over where she left off.

Moms are the ultimate multitaskers. Supposedly only a minute percentage of people in the world can technically multitask. I don’t know, but I’m guessing they’re all Moms. They can take meetings, cook dinner, help with homework, and watch a show or listen to a podcast in the background all at the same time. Being actively involved in these tasks ourselves and learn to juggle parenthood will be a benefit to your family.

Most Moms are natural nurturers. They know just how to comfort a crying child or calm a tantrum. Let’s take notes (in your journal) from this and actively involve ourselves in nurturing our kids.

That’s What Mamas Do

Our friends who are Mothers have a unique perspective on parenting that we can also learn from. Many Moms often rely on their Mom friends for support and advice. We can actively involve ourselves in building a community of Dad friends who we can turn to for support, and we can also actively involve ourselves in providing support to other fathers who may need it.

Moms understand the importance of self-care. They know that taking care of themselves is just as important as taking care of their children. As Dads, we can learn to prioritize our own self-care and actively involve ourselves in taking care of our own physical, mental and emotional health, while also encouraging our children to do the same. At the same time, Moms sacrifice so much for their children and family. It is our job to share the responsibilities of raising the children and supporting our partners and their well-being.

Who’s great at finding creative solutions to parenting challenges.? Moms are. They often think outside of the box when it comes to entertaining the kids or getting them to try new foods. Those Jedi mind tricks are more like Jedi Mom tricks. This is a lesson on how to be more creative in our parental approach and actively involve ourselves in coming up with creative solutions to parenting challenges.

A Song for Mama

Finally, we can learn so much from our own mothers. They’ve been through this all before as well. Yes, times have changed since we were all born, and not everything will be applicable, but the lessons our own Mothers can teach us are invaluable.

Our Moms love us unconditionally, no matter what mistakes we make or how far we stray from their values. We can take this lesson and actively involve ourselves in showing our children the same kind of unconditional love and acceptance.

They have often worked tirelessly to provide for us while showing us the value of hard work and dedication. Let’s actively involve ourselves in instilling the same work ethic in our own children by setting an example of hard work and dedication.

We can learn so much from the mothers in our lives. Start asking the mothers in your life their tips and tricks to staying sane and raising children, and then try them out to see what works and what doesn’t with your children.

And to all those who have lost their Mom or their children’s Mom, my thoughts go out to you today as I can’t image what you feel each year on this day. I hope you’re taking some time to reflect and celebrate their lives and what they taught you when they were here. Share their stories and photos with your kids. It can be sad, but it can also be joyful and healing at the same time…and a way to continue carry on their Motherly spirit.