How do you know if you are a good mother?

I asked myself this question and I had this terrible fear that maybe I think I’m a good mother when in fact I could perhaps do better.. So I decided to go online and google what people think makes you a good mother and to be honest  I wasn’t really impressed with the answers as most mums said “When your children hug and kiss you” or “When you would do anything for them”

That isn’t enough…

I then  found a test “Answer this questions to prove you are good mother”. The questions included topics related to pregnancy too   “Did you ask for a c section? Did you give birth naturally!??!” Oh come on, I wish that had only depended on me!

I know I give 1000% to my daughter as she’s my life but then when sometimes I lose patience with her, this terrible guilty feeling  just takes over me and ruins my day making me think  I should probably be more understanding with her.

In general I think I’m a good mother, but I feel I need to prove I AM  and be told that I am, pretty often. So why is that?

Based on this I decided to run a list of “Signs” that I think would suggest you are a good mother and maybe on the path to become a perfect mother (Is there such thing !??!) so that whenever I have the feeling that I could have done more for my daughter I can read them and feel instantly better! (yeah right, *magic wand*).

YOU are a good mother when:

• You choose organic products to feed your child (this is number one only cause I’m totally into organic at the moment!! Go green!);
• You make your own baby food;
• You play with your child and forget the laundry, the dishes (happy to do that!);
• You don’t scream at your child after she squeezed the moisturising body cream you love, on the carpet;
•  You kiss, cuddle and tell your child you love her every day, every time you can (In Italian culture there is no such thing as too many kisses!);
• You nurture and protect your child, always;

On the safe side

• You know when letting go (ehm I still have to improve this one);
• You DON’T tell your child the bear will come if she decides to have another tantrum (It’s true though! Bears don’t like tantrums);
• You make your child brushing her teeth every day (and possibly not eating too much tooth paste);
• You are patient, patient, very patient;
• You are supportive in whatever you child wants to do (a part from exploring your cats litter);
• You admit of being wrong and apologize for that (ok the Cinderella DVD is not broken but I cannot bear to watch it anymore);
• When disciplining your child you come down to her level and in a calm manner you explain your reasons,  no matter what;
• You force yourself to get out of the house and go to the park even when you are dead tired or have a cold;
• You praise your child to encourage good behaviour;
• You stop what you are doing to listen to your child;
• You teach your child values;
• You make sure you make time for your marriage, so that your child grows up seeing how important it is to nurture relationships (A good friend of mine suggested this one – Thanks Caulie!);

And then I read this…

“You’re only a terrible mother if you NEVER think you are one.”

Pfewwwwwwwwwwwwww