I was asked to write a blurb for The Family Groove website segment, Mom on the Street. The topic was “What’s the best thing your mother ever told you?”, so I shared the best advice my mother gave me when I became a mother.

“When I became a mother, the best advice my mother gave me was to remember to take care of myself. This has proven to be very true, but not as simple as it might seem. Making time for ourselves when it seems that everyone around us needs our energy and attention can be difficult. But besides being Mom, Mama, Mommy, we are also our own person with our own needs.

As a mother, if we don’t take care of ourselves, there is no way we can take care of the rest of our family. There’s a reason that the airplane safety protocols have you put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others!

Make time to rest, to eat healthy meals, to have the time to practice your own unique talents and the hobbies you enjoy. As our family’s main nurturer, we have to have the energy to give the care and attention our family requires. Children don’t want a martyr, they want a mother. So take care of yourself — your family will thank you for it!”

Check out what other Moms on the Street had to say at The Family Groove!