What Makes an Amazing Mom

For some reason Christopher thinks that bedtime is an appropriate time to learn about evolution and physics.  He insists on watching Discovery channel (or some equally intelligent channel) shows in bed while I'm trying to turn my brain off and they suck me in every time.

Last night's selection included discussion about evolution and homoerectus (which I seriously cannot say without giggling inside because I'm five) and finding a jawbone in Jordan (or Georgia... I don't know, I really was trying to fall asleep and this snooze fest was making it pretty easy).  Then the conversation switched to the relationship between a mother and child in early civilizations and how Orangutans do not break physical contact with their offspring for at least 6 months. 

My first thought was 'that would be amazing!'
(basically because it would mean I was a stay at home mom, and truly that is my dream.)

Then I wised up a bit.
That would mean 6 months of non stop baby wearing.

no tummy time while I run to the kitchen.
no daddy days while I run to the store.
not even a bathroom break sans baby.

That's intense.

I love Hannah, but I have a new found respect for Orangutans.


Then they talked about how human babies have to be sensitive to facial expressions because they have to endear themselves to multiple care givers.  They also mentioned that infanticide by mothers is higher in humans than in any other greater ape.  (Read More)

So far, as a human mother watching this show, I'm starting to feel like a horrible mom in comparison to the orangutan at the zoo.  Which is something I'd never considered before.

So it has me thinking - what makes an amazing mother?

Is it someone that sends their kids to school with amazingly beautiful lunches like this:

Or makes amazing sensory boxes for their children to explore like this:



Can you tell I spend way too much time on pinterest yesterday?

Anyway.

I asked my facebook girls what THEY thought was one trait of an AMAZING mom and after reading a lot of their responses, this is what I came up with as my contribution to the discussion:

"I think an amazing mom does whatever she can do to ensure that her children have a safe and loving environment - a home (no matter how big or small) that they feel comfortable in, food that fuels their bodies to be healthy, lessons that fuel their minds to be creative and thoughtful, and guidance that fuels their hearts to be loving and kind."

Now I just have to work on living up to that ideal.