What Is The Greatest Lesson Motherhood Has Taught You?

Here we are, right around the corner of release day for the US edition of our book; The Zen Mama Guide To Finding Your Rhythm In Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond! If you haven’t already purchased, you can pre-order here:

This book has been a labor of love and is filled cover to cover with information, stories, personal experiences, professional contributions, resources, suggestions, tools and so much more on an array of topics from Conception to Pregnancy to Pregnancy Loss to Birth to Postpartum to Conscious Parenting. And as mamas, we wanted to take this moment to reflect with ourselves - and hear your reflections - on the greatest lesson motherhood has taught you. Thank you so much to everyone for sharing your answers and please feel free to add yours into the comments below!

WHAT IS THE GREATEST LESSON MOTHERHOOD HAS TAUGHT YOU?

@teresapalmer
Motherhood has provided lessons aplenty but the greatest one? Well it’s hard to decipher which lesson trumps the others, they’re all valuable and make up the fabric of who I am as a mother. However, one of the most profound lessons has been not sweating the small stuff. I have come leaps and bounds in eradicating the necessity to have everything perfectly aligned. Parenting throws all sorts of curve balls your way and in an instant you’ll be faced with needing to be able to pivot without the ramifications of a sudden change in plans. It’s a freeing kind of lesson, like a weight lifted from my shoulders. Breathing and just be-ing without the need to micromanage allows the organic flow of the day to inspire me rather than throw me off kilter. Lessening my grip on control has served me in every aspect of my life, I’m more patient, slower and observant as I embrace the spontaneity of each day.

@jazhornblower
Being present and enjoying all their little moments

@krietvelt
To be flexible. Things can change in an instant.

@kata1323
That there’s something to be grateful for / smile about everyday.

@courtdukek
It’s an indescribable feeling, that makes you crave to be present every day.

@laurenkelly______
To really start listening and trusting my intuition. It’s always right.

@leajo77
Love and time - that’s all they need of you whether children are big or small.

@mmjager
You can’t control everything so just roll with it.

@rafif_mtzl
That being imperfect doesn’t make you less lovable.

@writeacat
Humility. It takes a village. Those are two separate but conjoined lessons.

@mrschelseadean
Patience and communication.

@mikammachado
To be kind to myself! I realize now there is a lot I can’t control no matter how hard I try.

@cecile_ge
L’amour inconditionnel
(Unconditional love)

@jaackerman51
Love.

@shaaaahirah93
How strong a woman can be.

@dana.m__
To let go of to do lists and just simply be.

@tasha1181
It’s okay to have bad days because there is no such thing as a perfect mother.

@kelly_jo_84
How to just go with the flow!

@juliadewald
Unconditional love, no matter what, even if there are mistakes.

@_mallo_cup
Patience! Just stop and take a breath, their childhood flies by.

@sacredwildwood
To surrender and cherish the sleepless nights holding my babe. That is where the magic lives.

@katedyfan
I am incredible.

@lilianeagro
Motherhood has taught me to have purpose and passion inspiring my children and those around me.

@meganlgraves
Patience, determination, and that YOU know best for your kid. I’m an autism mom!

@jodynz28
To live in the moment.

@nic_ferr
I can in fact survive off little sleep.

@bronywynjodi
Love and the meaning of it!

@ellenmcccole
Patience, not only with external things / beings but with myself

@lisettebcollins
Restricting myself to only doing ‘what is needed from me in this moment’.

@rhonda.jones
To take things in strides. Make room for changes.

@swrightolsen
That every soul, every birth, every experience in motherhood is unique.. every person has a story to share and each child may need something different. It has taught me to not put myself or my kids into any box but yet to continue to learn and grow as they grow, to listen when they speak and to observe what they need.

@adelliec
That I am infinitely more capable of anything - of love, patience, strength - than I knew.

@missmorganwalker
What true love really is.

@stephn731
I’m braver and stronger than I ever believed.

@alexzjohnsonofficial
The gift of learning how to surrender.

@jessamy.alice
To let go.

@blakeynvee
That my heart can grow a million times greater to love my children.

@thebraniffclan
Patience.

@itowntiger00
Flexibility is key - let each kiddo be their own person and support them.

@maraneryhurwit
That my whole life was preparing me for this.

@efmilford
Unconditional love.

@stac_jade
As a single mumma NEVER be afraid to reach out for help and support. You’re not failing!!!

@_shellyclarke_
How to be my authentic self.

@alstokes
Slow down and breathe in the moment.

@a_le.cia_a
Humility. Realizing moms are all doing the best they can.

@melyndaannearthur
Slow down and savor every moment.

@toysfromhome
Empathy.

@natpotts1
That you have to find time for yourself so that you can be the best mummy you can be.

@everhonestmama
That it’s ok to show your emotions and how you handle them so they can learn to handle theirs.

@bteale84
That all I am is all they need.

@reachalice174
Resilience. Lots of things don't go as planned, hang in there and love.

@skg1885
I am my baby’s safe space no matter what my hair looks like or what went wrong at work.

@mamapeculiarr
Letting go honors them in a way that is for them and not for you. Your children are who they’re meant to be. Let go and embrace who they are and not who you thought they would be or envisioned it would be like.

@harpersatmagill
To base my behaviour on how I’d like my children to behave in situations.

@happyhovey
Understanding.

@nikkireed
The greatest lesson motherhood has taught me is how to let go and listen. How to follow intuition. How to recognize that the path looks different for everyone, and it may even look different from what you envisioned. Motherhood to me is about being open to walking whatever path you are presented with, while remaining open to change.

@bagsomebread
To slow down and enjoy the quiet moments with my kiddos.

@clairejessiesyme
To really be true to who I am.

@noopdedoo
To relinquish my need to control everything.

@jenlouira
Breaking my heart open and giving the opportunity to grow and heal.

@kathrinelyster
A deepening of every feeling in life; love, joy, hardship, and even more acceptance.

@escobarlau
Your best is good enough.

@josie.doodles
Trust my instincts

@tiny_almaden
Selflessness

@lovesian
Patience!

@deeks_kensi_densi_fan
Finding out my daughter had autism taught me that everyone learns in different ways!

@moreofmelbourne
The littles don’t fit into a neat box and you have to let go and just go with it and that’s ok!

@loispanter
Unconditional love.

@marigbis
To put EVERYTHING in perspective.

@rachel.maksimovic
My intuition is always right.

@chrisld_1008
How to rediscover magic in swing sets, earthworms, and muddy river beds.

@cbkerchner
Every moment is precious so cherish them all because time flies!

@not_a_star_just_a_mum
You raise yourself as much as your kids. They teach you as much to be better as you help them grow.

@cocorrina.co
Patience and realizing that the real magic lies within the little ones eyes.

@aude.vdw
You’ve got more strength than you know and you can create your village even with virtual support.

@se_golden_strong
The depth of love and that I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.

@ash_seger
To greater appreciate what my parents and grandparents have gone through for me.

@georgeelix
Time is precious.

@sherraleetempest
No matter how terrible you look or feel, you are their world and they think you’re perfect.

@brittany_waites1221
That I am stronger than I ever imagined.

@arianalovesrainbows
Live in the moment.

@sandrampereira
That I am more vulnerable than I thought.

@marlybreeboyd
Surrender.

@danielaruah
Motherhood has taught me what I’m mentally and physically capable of. I have touched the extremes of both happiness and frustration, a loss of self identity and a new found meaning to life. I have felt like the best mother in the world while in the same breath bullying myself into thinking I’m the worst, though to them my love is consistent. Motherhood has completed my soul with something I didn’t even realize I was missing- them. My kids.

@kristynbuchanan
The deepest form of love and compassion

@emilygcook_
Slow down and live in the moment

@gemma____w
There is another kind of greater love

@demi_gordon
The ability to hear everyone’s voice, big or small.

@fatheremily
The gift of stopping and being present.

@burksea
To be kind to yourself as your flaws from an unhealed inner child may emerge.

@now_and_laters
To have compassion for myself. Loving all of me so they will love all of me.

@trilletrulla
That love grows by sharing.

@maleydaisy
The only constant is change.

@blackiekj
Connection is imperative on all levels. Mother and child. Mother and partner. Mother and self.

@toriandbim
That 90% of the stuff I fretted about before having a baby doesn’t matter at all!

@crimsonjoyhistorian
The power of community!

@danielanp38
That you can do it all, but it’s so much better when you ask for help or accept help offered.

@hekatenyx
To not sweat the small stuff. I don’t have time for stuff that drags me down.

@nanilani29
You never feel more perfect than when your child looks at you like you’re the best thing in the world.

@dillardsstevens
To let your children lead the way, to go with the flow more.

@jesse.g.moore
That I am perfectly imperfect and my kids love every ounce of my love even when I fail them.

@racheal_kononchuk
Motherhood has taught me that as a mother you’re learning just as much as teaching.

@j.ellisphoto
How to love myself.

@tancakes513
Motherhood has taught me the importance of self care and that it is okay to ask for help.

@_mamatrixie_
To let go of judgment and expectations.

@ejaearth
Worrying becomes part of our nature and we’ll worry about our children from day one of life.

@megbrewer
That our children are our best teachers.

@rebeccadirks
Gratitude.

@josiebourne100
To be in the moment and just BE - marveling in the beauty of the normal.

@ginger.star
Intuition is the best thing I got!

@mwme1983
The tiny, quiet moments matter most.

@kimmyomart
You can feel exhausted or out of your depth, yet have immense love for your munchkins.

@leggingsandlittles
There is beauty in what unfolds in a way other than what you had planned.

@loreleileona
It’s okay to feel the feelings in front of my kids.

@abohemianmama
If I can love my baby unconditionally then I can love myself unconditionally too!

@sage.mama16
Don’t take their actions personally. There’s a reason behind every expression.

@heandsheplus3
To let go. Again and again. I must let them go. And it never gets easier but I’m always proud when I do.