Advice for moms

I have a new friend. Her name is Marcia. She's a Pilates instructor and owner of polaspilates. She's also a writer. I guess you could say she's pretty awesome.
On Mother's Day, Marcia posted a blog with some incredible advice for moms (well, anyone, really). I found it so powerful, I thought I'd share it with some of my mommy friends.

1. Pay attention to yourself. Don’t be a martyr, it is unattractive and you are
teaching the people around you how to treat you, your girls that they aren’t
important, and your boys that women come second.
2. Use your core! Exercise, eat right, use your body, but don’t be militant. Have some fun, eat a piece of cake, skip a day at the gym. Don’t try to be perfect. It is an impossible standard to live by and will be an impossible standard for your children to live up to.
3. Use your sunscreen, eat your vegetables, wear your seatbelt, don’t text and drive, see a doctor annually, practice every day wellness, and be kind to people who don’t deserve it. You will attract people similar to you and teach by example.
4. If you are in a relationship, put it before the children. Make sure they know that you and your partner dig each other. Date. Show affection in front of your children. Joke, tease, and flirt in the ways that ended up producing those children. They will know what a healthy relationship looks like and seek that when the time comes.
5. If you aren’t in a relationship, seek one if you are ready to love and be loved and depending on the age of the child, don’t be afraid to share someone you are getting to know with the kids. I don’t mean invite every Tom, Dick and Harry into your child’s life, but your kids deserve to see how you treat a man or woman you care about and how you are treated. Don’t let them become teenagers without watching you care for another adult the way you want them cared for in their relationships.
6. Have friends, have hobbies, have a life. Don’t wait until your kids are grown to seek one.
7. Learn new things, try new things, don’t be afraid of change. Life is an adventure. Approach it as such.
8. Stop and make time for yourself – this doesn’t mean the multi-tasking you practice daily. This means, stop and make time for yourself. Read a book, go to a movie, take a walk, ride your bike. But spend some time with you. Nurture yourself.
9. Pay attention, try to live in the moment, dance naked every day and laugh as much as you possibly can. Have great sex. Surround yourself with joy but don’t beat up on yourself when you need to cry, have a melt down or have to lean on others for a while. This is all part of being human. Allow someone to pull you out of your funk, laugh at yourself, and hug often and like you mean it.
10. Treat your body as if it belonged to the person you love most in this world. And then, try to be the person you love most in this world. It won’t take anything away from the love you have for your children. It is a different kind of love, but one you have to tend just as carefully. Find people who will help you on that path and allow
yourself to be nurtured.

Thanks for the amazing words of wisdom, Marcia! They hit home for me, and I'm sure for lots and lots of other moms as well...