by Rhianna Suttie-Gunson

Created on: September 19, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I asked my six year old daughter, what makes a good mother? I could see her ponder over this for a second or two and then replied "Being nice".

"Yes" I said to her but what does being nice really mean?

"Care about other people. Not just thinking about yourself. A good mother does not yell, or scream or carry on. They be(are) nice to their children"

Unsure of what the answer was going to be I asked her "Am I a good mother?"

Yes she replied without any hesitation. Smiling I had to agree. Life as a mother is rather enjoyable for me. I think that I am a good mother and it was pleasing to know at least one person agreed with me.

To me a good mother is made up of, adaptability, patience, love, compassion, empathy, kindness, strength, determination, and a whole lot more! Being a mother is the toughest job a woman can take on, sure it has it's rewards, but it is still hard work, especially to be considered a good mother.

I have always thought that my mother ranked in the good stakes, if not the great ones! She managed to raise three well adjusted, polite children who are able to successfully function in society. However I have a very different parenting style to hers, and while at this stage I am of the opinion that I have the makings of a good mother, only time will tell. My children are both still quite young, so the jury is still out on the official verdict of my mothering ability.

Don't get me wrong there are times when I do question myself and the decisions I make but I constantly remind myself, that if I trust my instincts then everything will be alright. Sure I have had sleepless nights, heartache hearing my eldest not share nicely, devastation as I walk away from a tantrum in the shopping center and frustration when my pleas for toys to be packed away, go unheard. At the end of the day I figure I do the same as all good mothers do, shrug it off and hope that tomorrow will be better and ensure I have learnt from the experience.

The ability to learn from mistakes is a sign of a good mother. Lessons I have learnt include, that if I feed my children before we go to the shops, they are less likely to demand sweets while shopping. If I help pack the toys away the chore is much more enjoyable for everyone and gets done. In fact everyday I feel I learn a little more about how to be a good mother to my children.

I believe that a good mother is made up of a great many things which will vary among different mothers. The way I look at it is that, mothers and children are all different,

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