What we do right around here

There are days when I feel like I am an absolute failure as a mother. Days when nobody is happy, things get forgotten, one kid leaves the house wearing her favourite hoody that is a pictorial history of this week's dinners. I bet you sometimes feel like that too.
My kids are so sweet and one of their bedtime rituals is to give me a hug and a kiss and say that I am the best Mom in the world. Last night I muttered under my breath "I doubt that." Yikes.
This Mom needs some positive in her life so here is my attempt at making a list of things we do right around here, things I feel good about in my role as parent:
1. We maintain a consistent bedtime routine and we are at the point where they just do it when either mom or dad announces "bedtime" without many reminders of what comes next. Keep in mind they are 10 and 13.
2. At least half the nights every week I connect with my kids for some one-on-one chat time in the dark. Probably the single most important thing I do as a mom.
3. We eat dinner together pretty much every night of the week.
4. I manage to get them to eat healthy food more often than not, mostly because I generally don't buy junk food.
5. They make it to school every day of the week on time. Considering the sheer chaos that happens between 8:00 and 8:20 every morning that sometimes feels like a freakin' miracle!
6. People tell me my kids are very polite and well-behaved at their houses.
7. Both kids are good at self-advocating for their needs at school and extra-curricular activities.
This feels kind of like a gratitude list.

I think sometimes we focus so much on what is going badly in our parenting journey that we glaze over all the good stuff that's happening. Maybe we should sometimes take a minute to make a list of what we're doing right so it doesn't all feel like doom and gloom. We do a lot of really great stuff as Moms and we need to remember those things and hold onto them for the hard times.

Just like how we would never tell our kids they are absolute failures we shouldn't let ourselves think WE are absolute failures.
I encourage you to write your own list of things you feel like you're doing right in your parenting journey. If the Spirit moves you, leave it in the comments below or as a link to your own blog.