52 Weeks of Blogging with A Purpose; Show & Tell Monday-- Week 9

My goals for Motherhood...

I still remember the day I saw that little plus sign on my pregnancy test. All sorts of scary thoughts passed through my head: "What am I going to do?", "Am I ready for a baby?"

<insert any other scary thought here>

I was only 19 years old and I had JUST started dating my husband. Also, we had just met. "Did the condom break? What the fuck am I going to do??? Will he stay, will he leave?"

I had flashbacks from the first time around too. I was 16, irresponsible and stupid. My bf didn't want her, I did. I lost her, it wasn't meant to be.

I was still determined though, of having this baby. Despite if he (my now husband) didn't want to. Lucky for me, I was partnered up with someone who was determined to take care of this baby...with me. Who wanted to be with me. A marriage and another baby later, I am happier than I have ever been with a beautiful family who keeps my world interesting.

To those of you who are now veterans and those of you who are going to experience having your baby for the first time, I'm more than sure we share similar goals...

- To provide love, lots of it. So they may learn to love and love in return. This to me is important. Love is the strongest force that exists. It is amazing and incredible powers that we do not understand. I want my children to learn that love is important. Love for your family, love for your future spouse, love for your neighbor and love for everything that you do makes everything better and it really does make the world go 'round.

- Raise them to be sure of themselves. Security is important in a child. It makes them grow up knowing that they are someone who are cared for and it lowers the chance of growing up with low self-esteem and depression. I want my kids to grow up knowing that they are important and that they are loved.

- To be the example my children need. As a psych major, I did a lot of classes in the development of human beings. Especially as children and adolescents. Believe me when I say, that parents are a MAJOR part of a child's development. How you handle situations, they will learn from it. How you handle arguments with your spouse, they will take note. We as parents make up most of how our kids will handle whatever life throws at them. WE ARE THE EXAMPLES. Whether you like it or not.

- Let them know they have shoulder to cry on and someone that will listen to them. I know JD is still very young. But believe any mom who has a three year old, they love to chat! As much as it pains me (he could be talking about NOTHING at all) but I try my best to listen to everything he tells me. I know that when he gets older, I'm not gonna be Mommy anymore. I'll be Mom. I know he'll have friends and I pray that he has friends who will guide him right if they ever give him advice. But, it's good to know that he'll have parents who are readily available to listen to anything he might wanna tell us and not be quick to judge (this is hard but not impossible!).

I'm pretty there are a few goals that I am not remembering at the moment. But these are the top ones that I keep pretty high on the list. I know I can never be my kids' friend (like really. I know JD calls me his best friend now, but we'll see how he feels 10 years down the road). But I want to them to, at least, know that I am there for them, always. And I'll love them even after death.