This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Special K for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I want to take you back today… We’re going back a few years to the Summer all my son’s friends potty trained. All of them.
But he didn’t.
Our circle of friends all had babies within a couple of months of each other. It was neat sharing all the same difficulties and all the same stages at once. None of us ever seemed to tire of telling (or hearing) birth stories and even talking about the finer points of WHY IS MY KID NOT SLEEPING EVER.
It’s great having a group of playdate friends to hit milestones with.
Then things get weird when other kids are hitting milestones and your kid…well, he’s not.
Now don’t get me wrong, none of my friends were getting the least bit judgy about our delayed potty training, but that didn’t stop my own insecurities from popping up.
See, when kids are babies it’s easy for everyone to be on the same team. We’re all just trying to make it through the day on minimal sleep. But as they grow into toddlerhood, things change. You might start noticing that you and your friends don’t always see eye to eye about parenting.
I realized early on that it wasn’t just me seeing these things happening. I knew other moms were feeling it too because I’d hear things like
“don’t judge me but…”
or
“I know it might not be the popular thing to do but we’re doing…”
Each of us desperately craving the approval of all, even when we knew we were doing things differently than the other moms in play group.
Fast forward back to present day and the way we’re all parenting is as different as can be. That little play group that was once so in sync has now blossomed from this baby group to an elementary-aged play group with a lot of diversity. We’ve got kids in public school, kids being homeschooled and one kid who even moved to another country with her family. And our parenting styles? They are very, very different too!
One thing I love about this little group is how each mom has learned to own her parenting decisions…myself included! Where I was once quietly observing, trying to keep up with all the other moms and do everything the same way – now I’m happy to share what we’re doing, even if it’s presented in contrast to another mom’s decision.
We’re no longer comparing notes to be sure we’re all on the same page. Instead, we’re proudly reading aloud about what’s working for each of us, and being happy that everyone is finding their own way.
You guys. Amazing things happen when moms start to just OWN IT.
Oh how I wish I could go back a few years and tell my insecure, new-mom self not to worry so much about “keeping up”. We all try so hard to be like every one else at first, and it’s just too exhausting!
(check out this video Special K filmed of our family talking about owning life in a way that works for your family!)
Sometimes owning it looks like having the last kid in diapers when everyone else has moved on to potty training.
Sometimes it looks like homeschooling when other moms are choosing public or private education.
Sometimes, it looks like encouraging your friends to do what works for them, even while you do the complete opposite because that’s what works for YOUR family.
Owning it means looking at ALL the options you have in front of you, and then picking the thing that works best for your crew, not worrying about what the rest of the group is doing.
I’ve been thinking about this concept for a few weeks now. Realizing how far I’ve come in my own parenting journey. Then I heard about the new products from Special K, and how they are literally telling women to OWN IT too.
They understand what I mean by the importance of Owning It. They give us no-doubt foods that we can feel confident eating since we actually know what’s going in our bodies. Things that are good for us, and give us strength to face the day with our crew of kiddos.
This week, the Nourish Coconut Cranberry Almond cereal has been getting me through the day. It’s the perfect start to my day with a morning coffee that gets me ready for balancing work and kiddos and owning another day.
Sometimes, I just might sneak in an extra bowl before bed, if I need a snack when I stay up working late…I’m not afraid to own that either!
What about you? Have you found yourself being more confident in your momming-skin as your kids grow? Share what’s made a difference for you through the years! I’d love to hear about it!
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