No child is raised by the same Mom
TL;DR: Tonight I realized that each of my kids may experience a different version of me as their mom, and all I can do is keep trying my best to give each of them love and attention.
I have three kids, and tonight it really clicked for me that my kids all have a different version of me as their mom. They are all biologically mine, but to put it in perspective, I have a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old, and an almost 6-month-old.
During bedtime tonight, my 2-year-old said, “You don’t love me.” I was shook. In that moment, I put the baby down and went to lay with her.
At the same time, my 3-year-old was having a tantrum about where she wanted to lay, and I just wasn’t having it. We had a whole back-and-forth about it, but in the end, I had to give in because my 2-year-old needed me too.
They don’t have the same perspective I do, so I imagine they each have a different image of me as their mom. I can go from scolding one child to, a few minutes later, smiling at my 5-month-old because she’s so cute, cuddly, and chubby-cheeked that I can’t help it.
Being a mom of multiple little ones is hard. You’re constantly switching roles, emotions, and attention between them. One child may see you frustrated, another may see you gentle, and the baby may see you smiling and soft.
So to all the moms of more than one: keep your head up. Do your very best. That’s really all you can do. Keep showing up, keep putting your best foot forward, and keep giving them as much love and attention as you possibly can.