“Why I love being a mum”
It’s Mother’s Day this weekend – the one day in the year dedicated to thanking the special women in our lives. To celebrate, Townsville mums share their thoughts on motherhood
What is the best thing about being a mum?
The unconditional love from your children. It is hard to describe the feeling when they hug you, but when you come home from a stressful day and you get that big hug you can just feel the stress slowly draining away from your body. It’s magic.
Describe your parenting style?
My parenting style probably alternates between helicopter parenting and free-range parenting depending on the situation and the child. Our daughter, Ruby, likes a bit more attention and for us to be close by.
Whereas our son, Fletcher, is a free spirit. He lives life to its fullest and is constantly on the go. It is impossible to keep up with him, therefore I have had to learn to let go with him.
What are you most proud of as a parent? I’m proud of how helpful both Ruby and Fletcher are. They both love to help. If they see or hear you starting to prepare dinner they grab a stool and ask to help. If you’re cleaning they ask to help. Fletcher follows Glen around the yard “mowing”. They really do enjoy it. I’m not too sure how much longer it will last!
What is your favourite way to spend time together as a family?
Our favourite way to spend time together as a family is to go camping. We go to Jourama
Falls every Easter with the extended family. It has been a tradition in Glen’s family for years and the kids love it.
We also like to go to the Traffic Training Centre bike park as the kids love to ride their bikes and there is also a little playground at the park for them to play on.
What has surprised you about motherhood?
I think the thing that has surprised me the most about motherhood is how hard, yet how rewarding, it is. Being a mum has to be the hardest thing I have ever done, each day seems to bring a new challenge. However, I wouldn’t trade it for the world as it is also one the best things I have ever done. Ruby and Fletcher constantly amaze me. They are so resilient and full of energy from the moment they wake. (Especially Fletcher who is ready to go from the moment his eyes open). I love sitting back and watching them play, they have the best imaginations and are so creative.
What have your children taught you? Patience. Our kids love to help, which is great, however it can also make things take twice as long or become very messy (especially when cooking with flour). We like to encourage them to help so patience has been something that I have had to learn (and am still trying to master).
What is the best piece of advice you could give to someone who is about to have their first child?
Take the time to enjoy your time with your baby. No matter how long or short your maternity leave is, make the most of it. Have a pyjama day every now and then and don’t feel guilty about it. Your time with your baby will go quickly and you want to make the most of it because they are only that little once.
Best Mother’s Day present ever?
A loveheart necklace that was a present made at daycare when Fletcher was a baby. The educators moulded clay into a circle and pressed Fletcher’s thumbs into the clay to make a love heart shape. They painted the clay and tied it on to a necklace.
Amy Aquilini
I’m a mum of two beautiful little farm boys, Jack, 5, and Harry, 3.
I live life with a Traumatic Brain Injury and with limited function of my right arm, but I no longer let that hold me back from chasing bigger and better things for my family.
I had a quadbike accident when I was 21, which was a massive cross to bear. It took eight years for me to completely change my mindset and understand the full weight of what holding a strong belief system can do for you.
I chose to become a mother regardless of my struggles because that has always been part of the bigger picture that I’ve always envisioned for myself.
My book Strong has recently been published.
What is the best thing about being a mum?
I would have to say the best part about being a mum, for myself, is how having children has given me a greater sense of direction as to what I want in life for myself and our family. Before I had my boys, I didn’t really have any direction as to what I wanted from life apart from wanting to be married by the time I was 25 and have children by the time I was 30. It’s funny how becoming a mother makes you feel like you are crazy because of the lack of sleep as well as everything else that comes with being a mum but really it is the greatest opportunity for mums to strip their lives back to basics and build themselves back better than ever.
Describe your parenting style?
My parenting style has changed recently, for which I am so grateful. I went from fitting into the authoritarian style, always yelling, finding every day to be the biggest struggle and being somewhat disconnected.
Turning my life around has been the biggest emotional rollercoaster ride ever, I have made some questionable decisions, then made some even more questionable choices but now that I have found my feet as a mum, life seems to be getting better every day! Life is so much easier when your children know there are rules that come with consequences and that if they choose to make the right decision, everyone stays happy and life runs so much smoother.