If you’re thinking about taking the parental plunge you’ve, probably questioned (multiple times) your ability to nurture another human life. Maybe you’ve raised your dog since he was just a little ball of fluff and energy, and he’s turned into one of the most upstanding canines in the community, and you think “Hey, I’m an amazing dog mom, so I can raise a kid, no problem.” While this is an excellent starting point, and taking care of pets is no picnic, automatically assuming you're ready for full-fledged human parenting can be, well, tricky. However, there are many other signs that you'll be an amazing mom outside of the realm of taking care of your fur baby (or anyone else's baby, for that matter).
Becoming a mom isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. Every day women find themselves standing at a crossroad asking the question, “to conceive or not to conceive,” while simultaneously wondering if they’ve got the chops to pull off motherhood. Whether you got to this point by surprise or by stalking your ovulation calendar, you’re probably asking the same question: will you be a good mother?
The truth is that motherhood is hard. It's so hard, in fact, that I can honestly say that there have been days when I've wanted to quit being a parent. Every mother feels like quitting at some point, and the odds are that one day, if you decide to become a mother, you will, too. Wanting to occasionally quit isn't indicative of someone's skill or worth as a mother, but the following ten signs are a good indication that maybe, just maybe, you would make a great mom.
You Nurse Your Hungover Friends Back To Health
After a late night of over-consumption and killing it (not really) on the dance floor, your friends are so hungover that they’re swearing off alcohol (again). They never suffer long though because you are quick on the heels of nausea and migraines, combating them with Tylenol, Gatorade, and toast. Basically, you mom them, and since toddlers and obnoxious drunk people are basically the same, if you can handle your hungover friends, you can handle motherhood.
You're Genuinely Concerned For The Well Being Of Humanity
You don’t stand a chance against girl scout cookie sales kids, Ice Bucket Challenges, or Sarah McClaclan’s angelic voice urging you to adopt more animals. During the holidays you can be found in soup kitchens and toy drives, and you lose sleep at night worrying about the planet your kids will inherit. Compassion is essential when you're a parent.
You're Super Organized
Your closet is color coordinated and your calendar includes a legend in the bottom right corner for extra details. You’re the type of person who always wears matching socks (yes, that’s very impressive). When you've got kids, clutter just happens. It's almost inexplicable how said clutter even comes about, but being organized will definitely be beneficial if you decide to become a mom. Knowing exactly where the essentials are when your baby starts hitting those angry high notes can save you a lot of unnecessary angst.
Patience Is One Of Your Virtues
That little old lady leisurely distributing her 46 coupons in front of you at the supermarket doesn’t even make you flinch. If anything, you’re impressed with her vigilant clipping and savvy money-saving skills. Kids have the uncanny ability to drive even the calmest of us to the brink of insanity, on occasion, so coming into parenthood already understanding the importance of patience will get you through potty training and sleepless nights and teething and, well, basically everything else that will inevitably test your patience.
You Save The Drama For Your Momma
Actually, you don’t even save it for her because you don’t waste your precious breath on melodrama, and you couldn’t care less what he said or what she said. When you've got kids, there's more than enough drama and theatrics at the hands of a toddler to pass around, so not being the type of person who flies off of the handle at the slightest of inconveniences will save you a lot of, well, drama.
Your Diet Is Less Than Ten Percent Microwave Meals
You treat your body like the temple it is, which means processed foods have little presence in your life. You’d sooner starve than consume a microwaveable sausage biscuit that contains the same ingredients as a tub of glue. This is a great start to giving your theoretical kids a healthy example, because trust me, they're going to test your nutritional strength by requesting chicken nuggets and cookies 18 times per day.
You Rarely Hit The Snooze Button
You approach the day with a can-do, proactive attitude and repeatedly hitting the snooze button only holds you back. It’s likely that this trait is incredibly annoying to your coworkers, but you’re baby will appreciate your enthusiasm during those late night feedings. Babies are the best worst alarms clocks ever, and in the mornings they hit the ground running (or rolling or crawling), whether you've gotten any sleep or not.
You Pinterest More Than You Facebook
If your Pinterest boards are filled with beautiful color schemes and gluten-free recipes, and your Facebook lacks an album dedicated solely to selfies, you’re probably ready for parenthood. Selflessness is kind of a big deal with a baby since their entire existence depends on your undivided attention.
You've Got An Empathetic Heart
Instead of being annoyed with that screaming toddler in Target, you’re making funny faces behind his or her mom’s back in attempt to evoke a smile or even a laugh. You understand that he’s just a kid and sometimes kids gets irrationally emotional about cheese and crackers and other seemingly insignificant things. Having the ability and willingness to put yourself in the situation or shoes of someone else is a great trait, whether you have kids or not, but especially if you do, because the world sure could use more examples of empathy.
Your Phone Is Always Charged
This might seem like a questionable qualification, but it actually says more about you than you might think. Having a consistently full battery means that you’re always prepared. There’s no such thing as being "too prepared" when you’re a mom; you’re constantly on your toes and need to be ready for everything from explosive diarrhea to sudden and torrential downpours. Being a mom includes coming equipped with enough Band-aids and antibacterial soap to assist during natural disasters.
You're Worried About Being A Good Mom
Whether you’re all of the above or not, just the fact that you’re taking the time to question your maternal abilities means that you truly care. That, dear momma, is a pretty good first step and a great sign that you're going to be an absolutely wonderful mother to a very lucky kid.
