Crunchy, Granola, Silky, Modern, Mainstream, Alternative, Scrunchy – do those “labels” make you cringe like they do me? Does your blood boil when someone asks you what kind of mom you may be?
What is up with all of these labels?
I have polled and asked around, what exactly makes you what label. Some make sense, while others are hard to pinpoint exactly. Mama’s get so fierce, so adamant that way they do things its the way and the only way to do it.
I’ll admit it.
I’ve been guilty of putting a label on my own motherhood, diving head first into a lifestyle that doesn’t suite my family. I plan it out (I’m good at planning), I buy all the supplies and I *try* to execute (not my forte). But because it isn’t something I fully believe in or fits our lifestyle, I usually end up overwhelmed, frustrated and defeated. I then end up discussing the changes with my husband and he so gently reminds me that just because everyone else is doing it isn’t a good enough reason for our family to do it (I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this line my entire life #approvaljunkie).
Sweet mama, it’s ok to try different things out for our babes and our families. It’s ok to breastfeed, cosleep and use disposable diapers. It’s ok if formula works for you but you choose to cloth diaper, use essential oils and never baby wear. What works for you and your family is perfect and what works for me and my family is perfect.
Allow yourself a break…
…to take the easy road sometimes because it works for you. Motherhood is stressful enough, why add the pressure of adding a label to it. Do your research, figure out what’s gonna work, do some good ol’ trial and error and go with it. Accept it. Change it when it needs to be changed, not because of the pressure of a certain label, but because something else works instead. In the day of information overload – you can find anything you want to hear, good and bad. But with motherhood, comes an innate sense of knowing what is best for your family. Run with it.
When we allow ourselves to remove the label from our own motherhood, we also allow ourselves to have more grace with the mama who does things differently than us. We suggest a different way when she asks, but we also learn from the way she does things. It only strengthens the community of mama’s instead of separating us and isolating ourselves.
I think the beauty of motherhood is taking off those labels and doing what works for your family. When you allow yourself the freedom to remove the label, do what works for you and thrive in it you allow yourself less guilt and more grace. And what mama doesn’t want less guilt and more grace?!
Do you struggle with the pressure that comes with labeling? What ways have you been trying to remove the label and allow yourself to try new things?
