Three Positive Affirmations for Moms this Summer

I’ve never been crazy about summers – even when I was younger. Then I became a mom and realized I only have 18 summers with each of my children. While 18 years may seem like a lot, 18 summers seems a bit more fleeting.

This is my fifth summer as a mom and I finally feel as if I know what it means to embrace summers with my family, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. We are at the stage in childhood and toddlerhood where there are dozens of events and camps to attend and even more social media images reminding me that there are “more fun” moms out there. Enter “positive affirmations” and this coping mechanism to work through negative emotions and thoughts that sometimes pop up during summer.

Before I share my 3 affirmations, I want to acknowledge toxic positivity. Toxic positivity is the belief that no matter how terrible a situation may be, people should maintain a positive mindset. Positive affirmations are not toxic positivity because we’ll acknowledge the chaos and negative feelings and give them space to breathe, but they’ll help us reaffirm to ourselves we are meant for our particular motherhood journeys.

What other moms do have no bearing on me or my abilities.

How many times have you been scrolling through social media and all of a sudden felt like you could be doing more as a mom? It happens to me all the time. As moms, we are capable of loving our families better than anyone else, and that includes planning and making a memorable summer. 

My children won’t remember what we did, but they’ll remember how I made them feel.

Our kids simply want to feel safe and loved. Yes, they may complain about missing out on something when we tell them no or they may want to do something fun at the moment, but now that we’re adults we know it was more about the love our parents gave that mattered. It will be the same for our children one day too.

My body deserves my respect because it allows me to be present with my children.

This one is hands down the most difficult affirmation for me to tell myself every day. I am the heaviest I have ever been, but I am also the strongest (mentally and physically) I have ever been. When I look in the mirror I see stretch marks and dimples. When I look in the mirror I also see a smile that often wasn’t there in the past. My body has helped me not only birth children, but it allows me to lift my daughters in my arms and chase them around our yard. My body allows me to sing lullabies and to see them grow. My body (and yours) is beautiful and amazing. It deserves to be respected and cared for every single day. 

I know summer is about memories and making the most of the longer days of sunshine, but motherhood is a challenge and sometimes negative thoughts can swirl in our minds. I hope these affirmations help you remember you are exactly where you need to be with the children that were lovingly sent to you.