What Our Children Really Think About Us by Margaret Hart
The next time you have one of those days when you feel like you have really screwed up as a mom, or you feel guilty for losing your patience, all you need to do is to watch a recent video that has gone viral, where a group of moms talk about themselves as parents. Do a Google search, you’ll find it.
The filmmakers ask the moms, in very candid and emotional one-on-one interviews, to rate their parenting skills. The moms reveal a host of self-doubts, including: wishing they were more confident and more patient, and admitting to doubting their overall parenting abilities and struggling with their tempers.
The moms are asked to return days later and are shown videos of interviews conducted with their children. As a viewer, you watch as the camera pans from showing the expressions on the faces of the moms as they watch their children talk about them, to watching the children being interviewed.
The video is so simple yet so powerful. It’s heartwarming, it’s emotional, and it reveals that the children don’t see any of their mother’s perceived flaws. Through poignant and humorous comments, the children say things like, “she’s fun to snuggle with,” “my mom is totally awesome,” “she does cook a lot of food for me,” “she’s just unique,” and “that ‘s why I love her.”
By the time the video ends, you are sobbing. I first came across the video on Facebook, and cried so hard I could barely breathe. I sent a text with a link to the video to my girlfriend who had just experienced a difficult week with her kids. I said, “watch this.” She texted me back in less than 2 minutes and said, “Ok. Bawling.” and then “Thanks!”
What I liked most about this video was that, for me, it was yet another wakeup call to remind me that I need to stop fretting about all the little things that I fault myself for not doing, or not doing well enough, as a mom. It reminded me that I have to keep working on being “present” in the moment with my child and stop worrying about yesterday or tomorrow, and just be. It also made me realize that, even though I knew this already, I’m not alone.
This video made me stop and think. And I think that was the point.
I see this video as a gift to all moms. It’s message is simple: our children love us. Even when we have days when we think we are really screwing up, our children don’t necessarily think so. They love us just the way we are.
Tags: losing your patience, Margaret Hart, parenting skills, self doubts, viral video about moms and parenting, what children think about their moms
