If you felt like you became a different person when you had a child, you can thank biology. After all, growing a human is no small task. Emerging research has shown that women undergo brain remodeling during pregnancy for up to two years.
What feels like “mommy brain” during that time is preparing us to be good mothers. These changes may be a good indicator of why women grow in wisdom when they become moms.
In all of that wisdom, we’ve narrowed down 7 lessons we take away from motherhood that help us shape our children’s lives and our world.
Empathy is crucial for social connections.
Motherhood teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. We have to teach our children to communicate, and we learn to understand their world on intimate levels. You better relate to others and learn to live without judgment when you have empathy.
Compassion works hand-in-hand with empathy.
While empathy allows us to take on the perspective of others, compassion provides us the ability to offer support and guidance. Mothers no longer view life through a selfish lens and understand when people need help and how to provide it.
Community is everything.
Raising healthy kids takes a village. Mothers often take on the role of caretaker solo once their partners return to work. But it’s vital for the health of mom and kids to have support from a community. Family, teachers, neighbors, coaches, and religious leaders all play an integral role in the well-being of children.
Children need safety and security.
As mothers, we are protectors, and children constantly look to us to ensure they’re safe. It’s our job to create an environment where children feel secure, trusted, and cared for. We teach them values and morals, right from wrong, and how to navigate the world in a way that enables them to explore while knowing boundaries.
We give our children a sense of belonging.
When kids feel wanted at home, they develop a strong sense of self-worth and confidence. No matter how ugly the world can be, they understand its value.
Kids need someone to love back.
A mother's love is endless, and kids need to be able to invest the same love back into you. When a child understands how to love, they develop stronger, more well-rounded emotions. This is one of the many joys of motherhood. They have keener intellects and greater social skills. Mothers are the first person a child loves, so the skills they develop in this relationship are critical for all relationships moving forward.
We are pillars of strength no matter how hard things get.
If you look back through motherhood, you’ll see you’ve overcome a lot of things you didn’t think possible. We have to believe in the strength of motherhood. You’re a pro. All the strengths you develop as a mom carry over into other areas of life.
