Work and train smart everyday to be the best version of yourself. Not for anyone else but just for you, so you can give your best self to the world.
Are you afraid of what might happen when you start having kids? Are you a mom, or do you know one who sometimes feels like she’s “lost herself’?” Motherhood often gets a bad rep. When it comes to kids, the biggest concern voiced by my students and friends during my years of teaching self-care programs – apart from, of course, their fear of death during childbirth – was losing control of their bodies and lives, and never looking or feeling the same again.
After having kids you will never look or be the same again. That’s right, you heard me. Things change radically. You’ll have less time, your body will change, and you’ll face new daily challenges. I’ve certainly experienced my share of doubts, fears and meltdowns. But here’s my radical premise: each of these challenges equips you to be better than you ever imagined. After all, pregnancy prepares us – and motherhood grooms us – to be disciplined, mindful, conscious, protective and sensitive, all the perfect ingredients to being in the best physical and emotional shape of your life. Here are my seven reasons why motherhood rocks and so do you:
1. Kids teach you that time is precious
Moms know how to maximize their time, no matter the task at hand. From work to workouts and everything in-between, moms know how to make their 24 hours count each and every day. If I know I only have a short amount of time for myself, I try not to waste a moment. You learn to be wildly productive by managing multiple projects simultaneously, even if that means your once gentle run around the park turns into a quick sprint. You use your time better than anyone else on the planet because frankly, you have less of it.
2. Kids make you an early bird
Not an early riser? You soon will be once you start attending to your little ones’ needs at the crack of dawn. Instead of fighting it, embrace your early mornings because waking up early will be the best thing to ever happen to you. You’ll get a headstart on your day and perhaps even adopt these nine healthy morning rituals that set you up for a great day ahead.
3. Kids force you to sleep earlier
Waking up early usually means you crash early too. You probably don’t party as hard as you used to, and that means good things for your sleep patterns. Quality sleep is the number one contributor to your ability to function well – not to mention you’ll look and feel refreshed and alert. Snuggle up early with your kids and chances are you’ll be out in a flash after your long day.
4. Kids make you more resilient
Consider the extraordinary feat of birthing your kids. No matter how they came into the world, you’ve had to endure nine months of carrying around another being, culminating in the greatest marathon of your life. Childbirth has stretched your pain threshold and you already know that your legs won’t fall off if they shake when you squat – they’ll just get stronger. After years of teaching hundreds of pre- and post-natal women, I can tell you one thing for sure: They are always the toughest and most resilient ones in the room. Own your power.
5. Kids turn you into a role model
Becoming a parent means taking on a new role: Role model. Whether you like it or not, your kids, from an astonishingly early age, learn from the example you set. They don’t just emulate your behavior, they also pick up on subtleties like how you feel about yourself and whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist. When you realize that the people you love most are watching and learning from you everyday, it forces you to become the best version of yourself so that they learn to be the best version of themselves.
6. Kids make you aware of your body
When I take any type of exercise class, I’m that person in the back row modifying moves because I’m the one who knows my body and how best to take care of it. Most women who have had kids need to take some level of care when working out their abdominals or other specific areas. Having gone through the transformation of pregnancy and motherhood, moms are more conscious of their bodies and move with heightened sensitivity and awareness.
7. Kids teach you that beauty is more than skin deep
When you look at your kids, do you see the beauty of their personalities, that inner glow and light that they bring to the world? What if you recognized your own inner beauty in the same way that you recognize theirs? Embrace your stretch marks because they are signs of love, and learn to love yourself the way you love and nurture your loved ones.
