Mother’s Day

Don’t say, “My child is an adult now. I don’t think I did enough to prepare them, or I didn’t lay a strong enough foundation.”

Say, “I did the best I could, and if they need more growth in an area, God will orchestrate mentors and moments to help them become the godly person they need to be.”

Don’t say, “I dropped the ball again. I missed an important event at school. I’m a terrible mom.”

Say, “God’s mercies are new every morning. I can apologize, repair, and receive His kindness instead of beating myself up.”

Don’t say, “Everything is chaotic, the house is a mess, I am overwhelmed, and I can’t keep up.”

Say, “My weakness is exposed. His power is made perfect in my weakness. A 'good enough' home is fine. I will focus on safety, laughter, and calm instead of perfection.”

Don’t say, “Something bad might happen to my child.”

Say, “I’ve done everything I can to keep them safe today. The rest is out of my hands. I place them in God’s hand, which are much stronger than mine.”

Don’t say, “My child is struggling, so I’ve failed.”

Say, “Struggles are part of life. My job is to support them through it, not eliminate every difficulty. This is building their dependence on the Lord.”

Don’t say, “My child’s friend can do whatever they want without any rules. Am I too controlling?”

Say, “I stay close with clear rules. It’s not about blind trust; it’s about guided trust with safety guardrails.”

Don’t say, “What if something happens to my child while I’m not there?”

Say, “I can’t be with them every second, but God is omnipresent, and He is with them everywhere at all times, protecting them.”

Don’t say, “I have to go over their homework every night and make sure it is all right, or they will fail in school.”

Say, “Their homework is not my responsibility. I am robbing my child of the ability to build competence. I can rest knowing I have taught them to do everything with all their heart, as working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).”

Don’t say, “What if this symptom is something life-threatening?”

Say, “Most symptoms turn out to be nothing serious. I’ve taken the responsible steps; now I choose to trust in the Great Physician instead of fear.”

Don’t say, “They’re failing college and ruining their entire future. All that tuition money is wasted.”

Say, “The money spent so far taught them valuable lessons about responsibility and real life. It’s not wasted; it’s invested in their growth. Besides, one bad semester (or even year) does not ruin a life. Many successful people had rough college starts.”

Don’t say, “What if they grow up and resent or hate me?”

Say, “No parent is perfect. Only Jesus is perfect. Repairing mistakes and showing love consistently matters more than never messing up.”

Don’t say, “What if they get rejected?”

Say, “I have taught them that they can do hard things, and to go to the Lord with their pain. I trust He will comfort them. They are strong and resilient, and I’ll be here when they need me.”

Don’t say, “I’m torn between a busy week at work and kids. I should be doing it all better than this.”

Say, “God sees my heart and provides grace for this hard balance. This is a pouring-out season; it will get better.”

Don’t say, “I’m a terrible mom; I yelled again and got impatient today.”

Say, “My weakness showed. God’s grace is sufficient, I’ll ask for forgiveness, repair the relationship, and work on self-control.”

After an argument or hurtful words were said to your adult child:

Don’t say, “I ruined our relationship, they won’t want to talk to me now.”

Say, “I can apologize, change, and turn this worry into a prayer. Then choose trust over tormenting myself. There is no condemnation for me in Christ (Romans 8:1).”

Here is a Simple Exercise for This Week

Step 1: Make a list of all the expectations you have of yourself. Be honest with yourself.

Here are some examples of expectations many moms discover on their lists:

“I must keep the house looking spotless at all times.”

“I must attend every school event and every sporting activity.”

“My body should look like it did before babies.”

“My kids should hit every milestone early and excel at everything.”

Step 2: Circle the top four that make your stomach tighten when you think about them.

The ones that are adding the most pressure.

Step 3: Do ONE or ALL of the following.

• Lower the bar. Done is better than perfect.
• Delegate or delete. Ask honestly, “Does this actually need to be on me?”
• Replace the expectation with a kinder truth. “A ‘good enough’ home is fine...focus on safety, laughter, and calm instead of perfection.”