Can we replace mom guilt with mom grace?? Please!!!
With all the tragedy happening around us, can we just join together as moms and make this declaration — we will give each other grace!
With all the tragedy in the world around us, can we moms just decide to give each other grace? Share on XWhen your kid spits on mine at the playground, I won’t give you the stink eye. Because you weren’t the one who spit. And I choose to believe you didn’t tell your kid spitting was cool.
When your little girl’s BFF tells her she doesn’t like her any more because she wears the wrong socks, you choose not to assume her mom has been telling her to judge people by their socks. Instead, how about believing sometimes kids don’t know how to manage friendships and call the mom to see what’s going on.
When the star athlete at your son’s school gets suspended from a game because his grades have fallen, how about not saying it’s about time someone else gets to play. And maybe even suggesting one of the other students help him get his grade back up so he can play the game he loves.
And how about this, when my daughter comes home upset because she didn’t get invited to your daughter’s party, I won’t tell her that she learned how to leave people out from you. Instead, I’ll remind her that she can’t expect to be invited to every party and that people aren’t looking for ways to hurt her feelings most of the time.
When you don’t speak to me as we pass in the hallway at church, I won’t think you’re stuck up or mad at me over something stupid. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and believe the best about you, not the worst.
Seriously, y’all, can we all just admit how self-centered we can be? How quick we are to think everyone’s world revolves around us … when the truth is, we’re all in the same little boat trying to bail out more water than pours in!
Being a mom is hard enough without adding in all the other crap we do to each other and to ourselves. How about if we say no more mom guilt? And then replace that mess with all kinds of mom grace?
What if we give the benefit of the doubt to each other … and each other’s kids?
What if we speak encouraging words to and about each other … and each other’s kids?
What if we decide we’re replacing the presumption of guilt with the presence of grace?
For me, that means I will tell the voices in my head that ring out condemnation and shame to shut up whether they are shouting about me or about you. I will stop assuming everyone is out to get me and I will teach my child to do the same.
I will stop reading into every social media status update and quick conversation and choose to celebrate every success you and your child experience with you. I will not place my expectations on you and I will trust that you, just like me, are doing the best you can to parent with the Lord’s leading.
And most of all, I will look at you not as the competition but as a sister in Christ.
Can we replace mom guilt with mom grace?
You know what? I really believe we can! In fact, I believe we can use this verse as our foundation:
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:32
Let’s call it the 432 Manifesto:
Today, I chose to be kind — to give the benefit of the doubt, to believe the best — to you and your kids, about you and your kids.
Today, I choose to be tenderhearted — to look for ways to encourage and to invest — in both you and your kids.
Today, I choose to be forgiving — to give up keeping score, competing, and comparing — with you and your kids.
Today, I choose to love you and your kids the way I am loved by God.
What about you? Ready to join me and kick the mom guilt to the curb?
Let’s do this thing together!!
Ready to replace mom guilt with mom grace? Take #the432manifesto and let's change the conversation! Share on Xxoxo,
Teri Lynne
If you’re ready to replace mom guilt with mom grace, join me in declaring the 432 Manifesto! Share this image on your social media accounts and ask other to choose mom grace over mom guilt.
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