by rjlight

Created on: April 13, 2008

There must be some mothers who don't have a sense of humor, and their kids don't end up in prison. I know my mother, who had eight children, needed her sense of humor to keep sane. I have three children, and if I didn't laugh sometimes I would cry all the time. Being a parent takes hard work, patience, selflessness, and an ability to look at the stinky, smelly, annoying, crazy, messy, and sticky and eventually laugh. So after almost 11 years of motherhood, and 6 years of volunteering with High School students, these are some tips on being a good mother.

10 tips to being a good mother:

1.Learn to change diapers without dry heaving.

2.Accept the fact that for a few years of your life, spit-up and snot will be accessories and match every outfit.

3.From the time your child nears three, you will answer "Why?" questions until they reach High School. By High School, they won't think you know anything.

4.If you child learns to play an instrument, you will suffer some hearing loss. Be thankful for this hearing loss, because it will be helpful as they reach the teenage years. You will not want to hear some of the things they say.

5.It is important to learn some detective skills. Your two-year-old will be hiding your keys in the last place you would ever think to look like your garden shoes in the garage.

6.After your first child, you will stop washing pacifiers, let your kids eat off the ground, and wait 3 seconds before reacting to a tumble. This is the natural progression of motherhood.

7.You can say, "Because I said so" once a month and it won't mess up your children too much.

8.No matter how small the boo-boo you will need to put a band-aid on it. That goes for your children too, not just your husband.

9.Learn to forgive everything but grape juice. Spilled grape juice on the carpet is unforgivable.

10.Remember silence can be golden when you're the only one in the house. If your kids are home, silence means danger. Go to the bathrooms first to make sure your 4-year-old isn't giving the cat a bath in the toilet.

Smile! Your children will be out of the house before you know it, and you will be wondering what to do with all your free time. It is amazing how much time you have when you aren't spending it cleaning up spills, picking up dirty clothes, and putting Lego's together.

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