I was recently tagged by Alicia at Adventures With My Littles to complete the Rocking Motherhood Challenge.  Thanks so much for tagging me, Alicia!

The idea behind the challenge is to encourage mothers to recognize and remember the things that make us great moms rather than focusing on the things we feel we might be failing at.  Motherhood is hard sometimes. It is so important that we celebrate the little things that make it worthwhile.

To keep the challenge going and to help some other moms celebrate motherhood, I am tagging mom bloggers Kayla at Virtuous Mama’s Corner, Jourdan at Time Out For Mommy,  Janice at Mami’s Time Out, Victoria at Jigsaw Heart, Jackie at The Granola Girl, Annie at Life as Annie P., Jennifer at Under Pressure, and Hannah at Home and Lifestyle of Hannah Beswick to post their own lists of how they are rocking motherhood.

My 10 Reasons I Am Rocking Motherhood

1. I talk to my kids.
   With five kids running around, the laundry isn’t always done and the sink is full of dirty dishes but my kids don’t really care about those things.  What they do care about is that they have a mom who is interested in them and their lives.  I talk to them about what is going on at school and how their day was everyday. Communicating with your kids is so important and I’m rocking it!
2. I encourage my kids to be involved.
   With five kids, life would be so much simpler if I didn’t allow my kids to play every sport they wanted to play.  However, I make every effort possible to let my kids be involved in everything they want to do.  Dance, soccer, baseball, football, and swim team takes up so much of our time and makes my life really hectic at times.  However, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make for my children.
   
3. I connect with my kids through their interests.
   I struggle with this one and I don’t always succeed but I make an attempt to connect with my kids through their own interests.  My oldest daughter, Emily, is a reader.  She always has a book with her. I try to read books that she recommends to me or tells me that she enjoyed.  We are then able to discuss the books and connect in that way.  My middle daughter, Lauren, is a little fashionista.  She loves clothes, shoes, and make-up.  She is my shopping partner and we do our “make-up” together in the mornings. I struggle with my son, Jackson, since I don’t play football or baseball.  Sometimes connecting with him just means that we lay on the bed and watch YouTube videos together.
   
4. I am still nursing our youngest set of twins.
   With our first three kids, nursing was no big deal to me.  I was a stay-at-home mom and had all day to nurse on demand. I nursed all three of our oldest kids exclusively for more than a year. Fast forward seven years to this newest set of twins and things have changed.  I work full time and attend graduate school in the evenings.  My pump goes every where with me.  I feel like I spend most of my time either nursing my babies when they are with me or pumping when they are not.  Most days I am only able to pump just enough to get them through the next day at daycare.  There is no surplus.  I often want to give up but for now I’m hanging in there.  We’ve made it almost seven months.  I hope to make it until their first birthday!
5. I’m learning to choose my battles.
   When my oldest child was born, I obsessed about doing everything perfectly.  She was breastfed.  She always had a hair bow and was perfectly groomed.  I’m almost positive the child probably wasn’t exposed to dirt for the first two years of her life.  And then she became a big sister…  Once that first set of twins arrived, I had to come to terms with the fact that I had to give up some control.  Sure, I don’t think leggings and a t-shirt is an appropriate outfit for school, but Lauren does.  I’m learning to choose my battles.  Hey, at least she is dressed…even if she doesn’t match.
   
6. I’ve loosened up and calmed down.
   When my husband and I first started dating I was very uptight. I stuck to the rules and didn’t handle spontaneity well.  My husband is exactly the opposite.  After eleven years of marriage and five children, I loosened up so much.  I appreciate the chaos and fun that comes with motherhood now.  I am so much better at rolling with the punches and keeping my calm.
   
7. I try to set an example and embrace a life outside of my kids.
   I am a firm believer that while motherhood is a very important part of a woman’s life, it is not the only thing that defines her.  I want my girls to enjoy a successful and fulfilling life. I hope that includes motherhood for them but I also want them to know that their careers and individual life away from their kids is also valuable.  I try my best to set that example for my kids.  I maintain a career and travel without my kids.  I attend graduate school and pursue my own ambitions.  While I love being a mother, I also want my kids to see that I am more than that.  I hope they’re proud of me and can recognize and embrace all that I am.  While I hope all my kids get to experience what it is like to be a parent, I don’t want any of them to feel defined by only parenthood.
   
8. I love their father.
   It is so important that our kids know what a healthy relationship looks like.  I want all of my kids to develop relationships someday that they feel appreciated, safe, loved, and respected in.  The best way I know to impart that desire to my children is to model it. So, I love their father.  My husband and I do our best to demonstrate a healthy relationship in front of our kids.  We talk about important stuff in front of them.  We thank each other for various things, such as doing the dishes, so that our kids can hear it.  He and I both make an effort to help each other out and demonstrate a sense of respect for each other in front of our kids.  And, most importantly, we are affectionate in front of our kids.  Greeting each other with a kiss and a hug in front of our kids every day will hopefully help them see the value in these actions towards those we love.
9. I let them help.
   Dinner definitely makes it to the table quicker without my kids’ help but I let them help anyway.  I want my kids to feel like they contribute to the family and that their contribution is valued.  When they offer to help with something, I almost always embrace that.  Most nights one of the girls usually wants to help me cook dinner.  Lauren sets the table quite often.  Jackson is a pro at putting laundry away.  It used to drive me crazy when one of them wouldn’t fold the towels the way I do but I have learned to let go and let them help anyway.
10. My kids are happy and healthy.
    Things aren’t perfect at our house and they never will be.  I’m definitely not a perfect mother but I’ve managed to raise some pretty happy and healthy kids so far.  I consider that a success  and just another reason that I am rocking motherhood!

How are you rocking motherhood?