Why moms will always have your back.
My son is 11 years old and recently started venturing out into our neighbourhood solo. He rides his bike to local parks, meets up with friends and sometimes stops at the local convenience store to get candy and snacks.
As soon as he started these independent adventures we got him a GPS tracker equipped with an SOS button. That way, we always know where he is and he can reach us instantly in case of an emergency. Even with all of those features, it could still take a few minutes to get to my son if he or one of his friends fell and hurt themselves. So a major question remained: what would he do in an emergency by himself?
My simple answer was this: look for the moms. Moms are always around and ready to leap into action, regardless of the emergency. They usually have cell phones, bandages, tissues, water, snacks and a soothing word. Whether your child is young or old, moms want to help, and they will.
We’re a squad. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen women post on local Facebook parenting groups to say, for instance, that they were grateful to another mom who helped their child when they fell off their bike. There may be some crumminess in this world, but it fills my gratitude bucket when I know there are other moms out there, like me, who will always stop to help a child, any child, no matter what. So, my advice to my son when he leaves the house: “Look for the moms.”
It was only after I told my son this adage that I realized it applied to us parents as well. I remember an instance where my toddler-age son threw a temper tantrum in the middle of the mall. I was embarrassed and struggling to figure out what to do as his screams echoed down the long corridors, and I caught the sympathetic eye of a fellow mom, who gave me the slightest nod and smile of reassurance. I immediately felt my blood pressure drop. She understood. She got what I was going through. And I wasn’t alone. In that moment, amidst the glares of passers-by and the sound of my pounding heart in my ears, I found support in even the smallest way from a stranger mom.
When you’re having a “mom” moment because your kid is losing it (and you think you might, too), take a minute to look for the moms. Moms get you. Moms won’t judge (here’s hoping) because we have all been there.
Cultural differences often don't matter. We are united by motherhood and identify with the indescribable love and equally torturous frustration of raising little ones.
So, when your child is writhing around on the linoleum floor of the grocery store because you won’t buy them horseradish, and you start to feel overwhelmed, look for the moms. And be the mom that both kids and fellow mamas can seek out. It just takes a bandage and a reassuring smile to help turn a difficult situation around.
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Jenn Cox is a freelance journalist in Montreal and the mother of an 11-year-old. She loves crafts, gardening, and spending time with her family, including their doodle, Toby.