Photography by Emily Collett, Day Dreamin’ Engineer.

Defining Supermom

I know the term Supermom is controversial among women. But I feel differently about it. I am a true believer that all moms are supermoms. Usually, the term is used in association with a woman that can “do it all” and the reality is, it should mean something different for every mother out there. We have our own identities, interests, dreams, goals, schedule and home life. That is why we all need to have our own definition of what it means to be Supermom.

After my first year of motherhood, I have had some time to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly days. After we made it through the first few months, the good days seemed to trump the bad. But what made them good? Did everything go as planned? Was I able to stay organized? Was everyone happy (including myself) for a whole day?! Let’s face it, most days none of that rings true, but I was able to pin point some things that definitely make me feel super – even during those hard days.

What gets me to Supermom status

Setting achievable goals

There were points of time during my first few months of motherhood that I felt like “this was the end.” Like I was never going to accomplish something for myself other than a shower (maybe). I don’t want to discount those feelings because they were real, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I have always been a goal setter, so what I needed to learn was that the new tiny human in my life took time….lots and lots of my time. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t ever accomplish any of my goals, I just need to re-work how I was going to get there. I learned that only checking one item off to-do list during the day didn’t mean failure. As a new mom, that was a success. Now that my concept of time has adjusted, my goals are more attainable. And when I achieve my goals, I feel like a Supermom.

Staying organized.

For me, this is crucial. Things tend to crumble and my #momlife gets harder when things are not in order. Being organized and having a routine go hand in hand. If we are organized enough, it makes it possible to make additions to our routine, which then results in achieving my goals or our family goals. The fact of the matter is, as adults and mothers there is a certain level of responsibility to make sure your house, children, pets, husbands, etc are all taken care of prior to extracurricular activities. The more organized I am, the more efficient I can be, which means I can do more with my day. And that makes me feel pretty super.

Taking care of myself.

This is simple, but SO IMPORTANT. I try and take some time for myself…most days. It is the key to my sanity, especially during tough days. Like I said in the above two points, what makes me feel like Supermom is when I am able to accomplish my goals – and not killing myself to do so. Having my sanity definitely helps.

Ending the comparisons.

This is hard. It is especially hard when you spend a lot of your time following and pinning your idea of the perfect motherhood. Again, we are not all the same. Your life is completely different from mine, your co-worker’s and that Instagram mom your obsessed with. So I decided that I need to remember what is important to me as a mother, wife and a person. If it is important to you to have the perfect hair everyday, maintain perfect household order, or plan the perfect Pinterest party – no one is stopping you. Set those goals and reach for them, but don’t worry about how other moms are getting there. And remember, from one mom to another, please don’t kill yourself trying to do it all. Set attainable goals for yourself. You know what your capable of, and if you get knocked down the first time, try, try again.