Monday's Moment - Where do you draw inspiration from?

I love being a mum, I think that much is clear from my blog but parenting is full of contradictions from being the most challenging to the most rewarding role you will ever find yourself doing.  It's amazing how you life can be so full of love and yet can be lonely because you're worrying so much about whether you're doing the right thing or not and "am I the only one going through this".  Luckily I've had some pretty inspirational people in my life and I wanted to write about a couple of the people that have inspired me in during my motherhood years.

Firstly there is my mum.  I'm sure it's not unusual for most people to list their mum as their number 1 inspiration as a mum but mine is different.  My mum was amazing and sadly I have to write in the past tense because she is no longer with us and departed before I became a mum.  I will write about this more in the future but my mums passing was the most life changing thing that I've gone through and that includes becoming a mum.  I think about my mum every day and everyday she is a source of inspiration to me.  She was very kind, patient, tolerant and the strongest bravest person I've ever met.  My mum grew up in a sectarian environment and yet my brothers and I were brought up to not judge people or their backgrounds and give everyone a chance.  I just hope I can pass this tolerance onto my children especially in a world where people are judged solely on the clothes they wear rather than the values they live their lives by.Although I hate the situation that I've come to be in I know that I'm exceptionally lucky to have had such a good teacher and role model in my life.

Secondly is a friend of mine who also has two children, the eldest of which is 15 months older than our daughter.  It's great to have someone who is slightly ahead of us in parenting that can help guide us in what to expect! She's been great at showing where to look for routine help to dealing with toddler behaviour, it's certainly made it easier and meant that I don't have to do tons of research on subjects!  That makes me happy as I'm not a fan of the research phase and it's great to know where to look. 

She has been a real parental inspiration because although our lives are quite different I see someone else putting into practice a lot of the values that my husband and I think are important in parenting and know that it is possible.  And despite having a very busy life she always has time to hear me moan or give me advice!

These two people are my main inspirations and people that I know have (or are) doing an amazing job but I do pick up inspiration from those around me all the time. Some is from the friends I see on a more regular basis give inspiration on how to handle and occupy these tricky toddlers and others are from my family and the way they do things.  From my grandma and how she managed to live in a 1 bedroom flat with 5 people to my brothers and the way their children all have exceptional manners.

Where do your parenting inspirations come from?  Who are those people around you that you draw strength from?

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