• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Display Search Bar
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS

5 Minutes for Mom

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Snack
      • Lunch
      • Appetizer
      • Dinner
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Apple
      • Beef
      • Blueberry
      • Chicken
      • Chocolate
      • Cranberry
      • Peach
      • Pumpkin
      • Squash
      • Strawberry
      • Tomato
      • Vegetables
      • Zucchini
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Baking
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • No Bake
      • One Dish
      • Slow Cooker
    • Type
      • Breads and Rolls
      • Cakes and Muffins
      • Condiments
      • Cookies and Bars
      • Drinks
      • Food for Kids
      • Gluten-Free
      • Main Dish
      • Pies and Crisps
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Wraps
      • Side Dishes
      • Smoothies
      • Soup
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Crafts
    • DIY
    • Kids Crafts
    • Printables
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing
  • Family Life
    • Giveaways
    • Lifestyle
    • Marriage
    • Motherhood
    • Parenting
    • Pet Care
    • Special Needs
    • Time Management
    • Travel
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas

Why Being a Mom is So Important

April 29, 2014 by Jenny Nanninga

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ShareTweetPinPocketMail

Jenny Nanninga is here to share her thoughts on why being a mom is so important. This is the third post in a series inspired and sponsored by the new memoir from Lisa-Jo Baker, Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected about Being a Mom. You can read the first post here – The Joy of Parenting Teens, & the second post here – When Motherhood Sneaks Up on You.

why being a mother is so important

When you consider the various careers available to the population today, what strikes you as “important”? Do doctors cross your mind? After all, they save people’s lives.  Lawyers, who protect justice? Politicians? Conservationists? Teachers? Who, in our society is doing the important work?

Did you ever consider, that perhaps, you are?

Dictionary.com defines motherhood three ways:

1.the state of being a mother; maternity. 2.the qualities or spirit of a mother. 3.mothers collectively.

While the first point adheres to the biological or realistic aspects of motherhood, point two whispers something deeper and less tangible. The “spirit of a mother”. It is this spirit that makes motherhood so desperately important.

“Do you work?” people may ask.

“I’m a stay-at-home, mom.” You might reply.

Why is this the route of the conversation?  Why don’t we simply say, yes? Even if we do work outside the home, why are we

expected to answer with the job that brings home a paycheck.  Why is that the only acceptable answer?

“Why, yes, I work,” We should say, “Harder than I ever thought I could.”

Mothers are important, but motherhood is even more important. The “state of being a mother” might be what outsiders see, but it is the “spirit of a mother” that truly defines motherhood.  That constant state of giving of self, or simply being present for your children.  That is motherhood.

Each runny nose we wipe. Each booboo we kiss. When we explain for the 5 billionth time why sharing is important.  Each tantrum we endure.It’s important.  Deeply, vitally, world-changingly important.

We are the shapers of thoughts, characteristics, and knowledge.  We impact society for generations to come.

As my oldest daughter approaches the age of two, I am constantly reminded, humbled and terrified by the importance of motherhood.  When she scrunches her eyebrows up, pulls back her toy and declares emphatically, “No, it’s mine!”, I see it. This tiny moment of time is important.  What I say to her now, how I deal with this conflict, whether or not I correct her, how I correct her; All of it is so very important. How I react to this moment will have a lasting impact on my daughter, those around her, her personality, her selflessness as an adult, her children; the list goes on.  It is a daunting task. A worthwhile task.

Motherhood is so important because it is life-giving.  We give life by growing a child in our womb.  We give life by welcoming the orphan home. We give life by loving the lonely and forgotten children around the world.

This life-giving is life-changing. Not only for the children who enter the sphere of our motherhood, but for us. We do not merely create better people, we become better people. We are challenged and changed.

Society might not see the immediate value of dish-washing, chore-chart making, potty-training, park-going mothers, but society feels it.  Society is impacted by your motherhood.  The world is impacted.

You, mother.  You, right now in the trenches of diapers and tantrums and homework and slobbery kisses; you are doing the important work.

 

 

This post is inspired by Lisa-Jo Baker’s upcoming memoir, Surprised by Motherhood. Read more about the author and stay tuned for more of our personal posts about motherhood as well.

SurprisedbyMotherhoodAbout the Book:

A lawyer with a well-stamped passport and a passion for human rights, Lisa-Jo Baker never wanted to be a mom. And then she had kids. Having lost her own mother to cancer as a teenager, Lisa-Jo felt lost on her journey to womanhood and wholly unprepared to raise children.

Surprised by Motherhood is Lisa-Jo’s story of becoming and being a mom, and in the process, discovering that all the “what to expect” and “how to” books in the world can never truly prepare you for the sheer exhilaration, joy, and terrifying love that accompanies motherhood.

Set partly in South Africa and partly in the US (with a slight detour to Ukraine along the way), Surprised by Motherhood is a poignant memoir of one woman’s dawning realization that being a mom isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being present.

About the Author:

pic_full_Baker_LisaJo Lisa-Jo Baker and her husband have three kids who color their lives, complicate their frequent travel, and are the reason she believes motherhood should come with a superhero cape. A child of South Africa, Lisa-Jo grew up on karoo dust, purple jacaranda trees, and the stories of Zululand. While she came to the States for college and a law degree, she stayed for the boy from Michigan who became her husband. They make their home under the cherry blossoms just outside Washington, DC, returning to the Southern Hemisphere whenever the craving for biltong and family gets too bad. Lisa-Jo is the social media manager for DaySpring, the Christian subsidiary of Hallmark, and the community manager for their website (in)courage. Lisa-Jo has blogged for Compassion International from Guatemala, is a contributor to HuffPost Parents, and shares her everyday life lived in between countries and kids at LisaJoBaker.com. She welcomes you to connect with her. Twitter: @lisajobaker; Facebook: www.facebook.com/lisajobaker; Blog: www.lisajobaker.com

 

Hi! I’m Jenny!

I blog at www.thesweetstuff.blogspot.com all about my home, family (husband and sweet baby girl), being a mom, crafting, cooking, my faith in God, and more.

I love the outdoors, living in a small town on the Central Coast and being a mom!


ShareTweetPinPocketMail
Make Painted Pet Rocks
Kids Fun Food App Encourages Healthy Eating

About Jenny Nanninga

I blog at http://www.livingthesweetstuff.wordpress.com/ all about my home, family (husband and sweet baby girl), being a mom, crafting, cooking, my faith in God, and more.

I love the outdoors, living in a small town on the Central Coast and being a mom!

Reader Interactions


Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 Comments

  1. Sabrina Priest says

    June 6, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    This post is a great reminder when we as mothers are in doubt about how important we are to our families and society as a whole. Mothers who stay home should not feel ashamed when asked about working. We work everyday, all day! Thanks for a great post.

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline Presley says

    May 1, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    Sweet words. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  3. Hilary Chandler says

    April 30, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    Motherhood is definitely the most rewarding and most difficult job in the world! Thanks for the great post!

    Reply
  4. Emily says

    April 29, 2014 at 6:55 pm

    I need to read this reminder every day so that I can stop and really think about how to handle situations as they arise and what to say. I am definitely going to start answering with a proud YES when people ask me if I work! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Jenny says

      April 29, 2014 at 11:32 pm

      I’m so glad this spoke to you! Keep it up, mama! You are awesome.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Bringing Moms Together

We are Janice and Susan, twin bloggers and work-at-home moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.

Meet Us…

Work With Us…

Subscribe via Email

to be first to read new posts

Trending Now

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Among Us Costumes – How To Make Pretty DIY Among Us Cosplay Outfits

Among Us Costumes – How To Make Pretty DIY Among Us Cosplay Outfits

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

Instant Pot Apple Crisp that is Ready in Minutes!

Instant Pot Apple Crisp that is Ready in Minutes!

browse around

  • Posts by Susan
  • Posts by Janice
  • Favorite Recipes
  • Favorite Crafts
  • Giveaways
  • All Posts

Footer

Recipes

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and History

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and History

25 Awesome Rainbow and Green St. Patrick’s Day Treats

25 Awesome Rainbow and Green St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Easy Valentine Sugar Cookies

Easy Valentine Sugar Cookies

Crafts/DIY

Easter Egg Painting – How to Paint Easter Eggs with Acrylic Paint

Easter Egg Painting – How to Paint Easter Eggs with Acrylic Paint

DIY Flower Press – How To Press Flowers

DIY Flower Press – How To Press Flowers

Valentine’s Day Crafts For Kids – Super Cute and Easy Valentine Craft Ideas

Valentine’s Day Crafts For Kids – Super Cute and Easy Valentine Craft Ideas

Giveaways

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

REDEEMING LOVE Set to Strike Gold on the Big Screen #RedeemingLoveMovie

REDEEMING LOVE Set to Strike Gold on the Big Screen #RedeemingLoveMovie

Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Us
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 5 Minutes for MomTheme by Melissa Rose Design and Once Coupled