I Understood My Mother, When I Became a Mother – An Essay

Motherhood is one of the most important lessons of my life. I Understood My Mother, When I became a mother of a little princess, I learned and experienced the true meaning of motherhood.

The unconditional love, care, happiness, anxiety, and above all a smile on her baby’s face is what a mother cherishes throughout this extraordinary journey.

It made me realize the importance and value of my mother. I salute all the mothers over there who work so hard to raise their little ones.

My mind was puzzled by a lot of questions related to parenting, raising children and siblings, when I became a mother.

I used to wonder how my mother would have raised me along with my younger brother despite her job, joint family, etc. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and with a smile on my face, started to recollect memories of my childhood and school days.

Back in school, there were a lot of extracurricular activities around the year like Inter-house school plays, fete, sports day, annual function, etc.

These demanded extra practice sessions, time, and effort for the students as well as parents and to be more precise mothers. But my mother encouraged me to participate and attend all these events.

I remember my school days when, during the interval, my friends used to appreciate my lunchbox and say “Aunty se bolna alloo ka paratha bahut tasty hai”(tell aunt potato paratha is delicious).

I don’t remember a day without tiffin in my school life. After the class tenth, I had macaroni and bread in my tiffin. But now I wonder and realize how did she manage all that with so many other responsibilities???

Did she have some supernatural power or some extra pair of hands/legs? The answer to all these questions was that she was a Mother and always gave her best foot forward.

All those audio-visual advertisements featuring mothers with eight hands make perfect sense now.

At the time of my annual examinations, my mother used to get panicked and desperately wake me up at 4 am to revise my lessons. She stood there with me until I completed all my projects and assignments.

I was poor in Maths. It was my most disliked subject. I used to struggle and cry while doing Maths assignments. She also cried many times for me. Then her new mission was to search for an excellent Maths teacher. She found one, and I started with my Maths tuition.

After my coming back from tuition she used to serve mouth-watering snacks as if I had done something exceptional. Luckily her trick worked and with the help of my Maths teacher and my mother I passed my Maths exam with flying colors.

From morning till night my mother used to slog and do everything which my brother and I wished. I disliked arhar ki daal (yellow lentil) which I guess cooks in every middle-class household.

Whenever my mother cooked it for us-, straight away I used to say, “Again yellow daal! I will not eat. At that moment, I didn’t realize how much it would have hurt her. I can relate to such emotions today when I cook food with lots of energy and love for my daughter, and she doesn’t eat.

There were days when many times my friends organized combined studies and sometimes I was invited to birthday parties.

On certain occasions, it got late and I forgot to call at home. On these occasions, my mother was accustomed to getting worried and calling my friends moms.

It somehow made me feel a little uncomfortable with my friends, but now I think to expect a phone call or message from your child was not too much.

Now being a mother, I can discern, how it would have made her feel when her child was out of home or to an unknown place, and she had not been able to get in touch with her.

Parents scold, show anger, get worried, feel excited, and all these emotions come naturally because they wish the best for their children. But I didn’t realize these things when I was a teenager. I empathize and understand her entirely now when I became a mother.

Now, I am anxious and concerned about my child’s future. I am also worried about the fact that how will I carry such huge responsibility and task of being a strong mother and giving the best to my child

Changes had happened in me over some time when I became a mother. I still remember my mother running from the kitchen to the washroom to the dining room the whole day to accomplish various tasks.

I used to ask her, what are you doing? Can’t you take some rest? When will your chores completed? Smirking, she would say you will get to know everything when you become a mother.

Indeed she was correct. I have seen a lot of changes in myself and I truly understood the value of a mother. There is a list of things that had changed within me when I became a mother.

Things that had Changed within Me When I Became a Mother

Most of the things many of us have already heard along with “when you become a mother you will realize”.

#1 Less Lazy, More Active

I was the opposite before the baby came into my life. I slept for a long duration and was very particular about my sleep. After all, who doesn’t love sleeping?  But after I became a mother, my focus shifted to the baby’s sleep and healthy routine.

#2 Critical Thinking

After getting evolved as a mother, I found myself engaged in serious conversations related to the baby’s future.

For example, are educational institutions safe despite the massive school fee structure? How good and feasible, home-school concept can be?. Which school is best and why? Which school focuses on the overall development of a child?

How to save for baby’s admission and future studies and the list goes on. I am on my way to becoming a perfect critical thinker.;-)

#3 Improving Habits

Habits form our behavior and are repetitive. Babies are fast learners and imitate their parents and peers.

In the long run, it’s beneficial to practice and give up some habits which we think are undesirable. For example, I try to avoid excess use of technology (television, mobile phone, laptop) in front of my toddler.

#4 Time Management

Initially, I used to crib about me not getting enough time for myself.

But when I became a mother, I have started setting priorities, working on schedules, and following discipline and routine to manage time and work.

#5 Health is Wealth

Health is essential. From the time when I became a mother, I am vigilant towards my health. I wish to be fit and healthy because then only I would be able to take care of my little one.

#6 Home Cooked Foods

I loved junk food and eating outside, but from the time of conception, I started eating and believing that homemade food is the best.

I prepare food for my little one and don’t want her to rely on junk at least in the early foundation years.

#7 Hygiene and Cleanliness

Presently, I am more concerned about the cleanliness and personal hygiene than I ever was.  As soon as I come home, I wash my hands and change my clothes. I also make my little one wash her hands.

#8 Patience

Babies are outstanding learners, they observe, listen, and imitate very quickly. You need to have a lot of patience while dealing with your little one. I always try to put a smile on my face while I interact with my baby.

“I became a Mother” Quotes

It’s an amazing feeling to be able to relate to other moms.

So, I love to read and quote some “I became a mom” or “I became a mother” quotes.

Sharing some of my favorite quotes here:

“I am proud of many things in life but nothing beats being a mother”
— Unknown

“I believe the choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is”
— Oprah

“When life gets hard and you feel all alone, remember you mean the world to somebody and that somebody calls you mom”
— Unknown

“A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years and in your heart till the day you die.”
— Mary Mason

“A mother’s joy begins when new life is stirring inside; when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.”
— Unknown

“The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your universe. You relinquish that position to your children”
— Jessica Lange

“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.”
— Jill Churchill

Summing It Up

The article is a tribute to my mother and mother-in-law that I have tried to express through my personal experiences as a daughter, daughter in law and now a mother.

I talk, chat and laugh with my mothers but some feelings and thoughts I have failed to convey to them to date. Therefore, it is the best platform to express my gratitude to them and also to let them know that in every way they are unique.

Can you relate to any of the above points? How has motherhood changed you? Do you feel that being a mother has strengthened your relationship with your mother like never before?

I’m sure there are a lot many more things that I might have missed here. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. It would be great to see how you all feel about this subject.

Happy Motherhood!