We Don’t All Really Need to Be Type A Moms

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We all have that Type A friend in our life — the one who maybe just maybe has a color-coded calendar for her kids’ activities, her meetings, her husband’s appointments, and she’s never late for the school drop off (they close the gate at what time?!).  She’s always on top of school projects, or handing out healthy snacks at soccer practice. (You know, she’s Christina Applegate from Bad Moms.) How does she do it? But more importantly, when does she sleep?

Type A Mom

Here’s the thing: I love the Type A mom. She’s the one I text when I need my son’s class spelling list or have to find out when the bike rally is because I need to get my daughter a new helmet, like, the day before. And the Type A mom always knows. She’s in the loop with all the campus scuttlebutt, too, but… that’s another article.

Have you guessed it? I’m not your Type A mom. I’m pretty laid back and it takes a lot to ruffle my feathers. While I like to consider myself a go-getter in my career, I’m pretty easy going as a mother. I never fretted much about my kids hitting their monthly milestones as babies, and I let them handle their own school projects, even if they aren’t Pinterest-worthy material (they are kids, after all).

My husband and I encourage our children to do their best and give it their all, but don’t expect perfection. Life isn’t perfect and neither are we. I think that’s an important lesson for our children, especially in a society where perfection is put on a pedestal. From photoshopping away flaws to “we-can-do-it-all” attitudes, I fear mothers’ attempts to attain perfection might somehow wear off on our kids. Believe me, I never want my kids to know the secret craziness that goes on in my own head when I try to achieve that “so-called” perception of a perfect mom, perfect wife, perfect… oh forget it, I’m tired already. 

In lieu of perfection, I’ve accepted that I’m perfectly flawed. Some days I kill it, other days… not so much. But guess what? Every day I get up and try to be just a little better than I was yesterday. Sometimes that means spending a few more minutes snuggling with my kids at bedtime, pushing myself a little further in my workouts or trying to organize my desk (an ongoing process). But the great part of this philosophy is that it’s for every “type.” Whether A, B or somewhere in between, we moms don’t have to be perfect. All we have to do is try our best, just as we ask our kids to do, and get up every day with the intent to be just a little bit better.

So kudos to the Type A moms that are slaying all areas of life, and Type Bs, we need you to mellow things out when they get too intense. We all have our place, our role. So let’s just be who we are and give one another props for doing what we do — because sometimes just being a mom is hard enough.

So next time you see that Type A mom just nailing perfection, let her know how much you admire her! Chances are she’s playing that mental game with herself, too, and your support and recognition might just be the thing she needs to keep pushing herself to her best self, too.

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Molly
Molly, a professional writer and editor with 20 years of experience, has been obsessed with the written word since she learned to hold a pen. From interviewing longtime U.S. Senator John McCain to eating lavish eight-course meals in the name of research, she covers topics across the board and tackles each one with passion and enthusiasm (especially the food-related ones!)  Molly and her husband of 15 years have two children, Jimmy and Saylor. Together they cook, eat, travel, play and try to make the most of every single day. While teetering between being relentlessly exhausted and tirelessly energetic, Molly's life motto is "lead with love." Follow her on Instagram (@azgypsymama) for food and travel pics, plus random quotes that range from inspirational to the occasional whiskey-fueled enlightenment.

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