KIM

This is Kim!  She instagrams over at Talk Wordy To Me and is as good as they come.  She shares all about her favorite books for adults and children. She is a writer and shares lots about mindfulness and living with intention.  I love reading about her life and learning from all of her tips.  She also believes that women need women and loves to gather them together.  She shares more about that below, so get reading!    

BRITTANY: What is something you enjoy doing with your children? Why do you love it?

KIM: I love reading with my kids. It's so much more enjoyable for me than playing trains on the ground hour after hour. It's something we both enjoy, and it's an opportunity to be close and learn together. Plus, it has helped my kids learn to read, and has even been a huge potty-training help! Fun books keep them sitting there longer. That aside, I just think books contain so much magic and help our kids' imaginations grow in such a fun way.

BRITTANY: How has motherhood changed you?

KIM: Wow. What a question. Motherhood has changed me in so many ways. It's taught me that I have big emotions, and my kids know exactly how to bring them out. That can be a very good thing, as I learn to work through them and process some things that need attention. Motherhood has humbled me. I had all sorts of ideas about the mom I was always going to be and the kids I was going to have, but so much of that is out of our control. I'm humbled by how many times I have to say sorry for mistakes. My greatest hope is that my kids can look past my imperfections as a mom and remember how much I love them and try to help them. Motherhood has made me more grateful, too. The three kids who call me "Mama" are my greatest blessings. They bring more joy to me than anything else ever could.

BRITTANY: What is the number one thing you hope your children learn before they are grown? Why is this important to you?

KIM: I hope they learn to accept, love, and be happy with themselves. That is the foundation for happiness in life and for being able to fully love and help others.

BRITTANY: Describe one way motherhood is different than you expected it to be. How is the reality better? Not easier just better.

KIM: I expected motherhood to be all about the kids—teaching them and parenting them. But I am learning that motherhood has so much to do with my kids teaching me. There's a lot more growing, learning, and mistakes than I expected. But once I accepted the fact that motherhood has nothing to do with perfection or abiding by some made-up set of supermom rules, being the mom I want to be has been so much easier.

Brittany: What is something that brings you joy as a mother?

KIM: The moments that make me happiest as a mom are without a doubt the simplest ones. It's chasing my kids in the backyard or watching them make each other laugh. There is something indescribable about watching your own kids discover life, have fun, and make each other happy.

BRITTANY: What is one of the hardest aspects about motherhood for you right now?

KIM: Ugh. Mom guilt. I am really trying to overcome letting myself go to guilt as quickly as I do. Whenever I do something for myself, like a girls' night out, working, comparing myself to another mom, or even taking a little extra time to get ready, that guilt creeps in. It's also my knee-jerk reaction to get swallowed up in a guilt storm whenever I make a mistake and snap at my kids. There's definitely a place for feeling regret and remorse, but when it turns into a shame spiral, as mine often does, that's just wasteful and unhealthy. Emotions are the result of what we choose to think, so I'm working on the thoughts I have when I do the things that usually bring on that mom guilt. I know it's something all of us moms face!

BRITTANY: What are 3 of your strengths? Why do you love these things about yourself?

KIM: I am empathetic. I'm very effected by other people's emotions—especially those close to me. Showing empathy helps my kids know I love them and understand how they feel. 

I am creative. I think we are all born with the innate desire and need to create in some way. I love creating, especially through my writing, and it makes me so happy to see my kids find joy in the things they create. I hope that by following my dreams and creating in my own way, I inspire others to do the same. 

I like to gather women together. Women need women, and I love the energy of a good group of women who want to lift each other up. There is a lot of power in that.