5 Things My Mom Always Did When I Was Little

There are five things my mom always did when I was little. As a kid you don’t always realize how much your parents have sacrificed for you. Even most adults don’t realize it until they have kids.

My mom was a single mom trying to raise two girls and work full time for most of my life. But no matter how busy or tired she was, she always had time to be a good mom.

It’s easy to remember all the things your parents did wrong as a kid. I’m not a perfect mom either, some days I don’t even feel like a good mom.

But because of the things my mom did for me when I was little, I think I have a pretty good foundation on how I should be raising my kids. These things I specifically remember her doing that greatly impacted me, even if I didn’t see it back then.

These might seem like simple insignificant things but I promise they probably would’ve meant a lot to kids who grew up without them.

1. She made us dinner every single night

This doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but so many times I have been at a friends house and their parents tell them they’re on their own for dinner. There has not been a day in my life that this has ever happened at my house.

Don’t get me wrong we had leftover nights and ate out a few times a month but dinner was always provided. I remember going to bed hungry when at friend’s houses because all there was to eat was potato chips.

I didn’t realize it then but looking back I was beyond blessed to have a meal every night, even if my mom didn’t always feel like making one after working all day.

Related → 7 Habits to Instill in Your Kids

2. She went to every school function

I can only imagine how boring it must be to sit through a two hour school Christmas concert just to watch your own kid perform for a few minutes. But my mom did.

Christmas concerts, Spring concerts, open houses, award ceremonies (not the real ones, the ones where every kid gets an award), and everything in between. And we could always find her afterwards smiling and telling us how well we did.

Again, after working all day she seemed like there was nothing else she would rather be doing, especially after making us dinner and cleaning it up.

3. She taught us about God

We always prayed before every meal, went to church on Sundays, and read a few chapters of the bible before bed.

Whenever we had a problem in school or just life in general she always had a verse without even looking one up. While I wasn’t always gracious and accepting back then as an adult, I now have a strong foundation and understanding of God.

Though I still have a lot to learn, I stick with those habits my mom instilled in me as a kid every day and plan to continue them with my own kids. 

Related → 25 Beginner Bible Verses for Kids

4. She spent a lot of quality time with us

Whether we were going to do something fun on the weekend, planning an awesome road trip, doing a school project together, or just watching a favorite tv program after school, my mom was always doing something with us.

I looked forward to family game night and movie night. She tucked us in every night, until I was in 8th grade. She was always within arms reach if you needed her.

We were even fortunate enough to get to go to work with her when there wasn’t school instead of staying home by ourselves.

Even though the three of us didn’t always get along, I believe this is the reason my mom, sister, and I were so close for all those years.

I didn’t have a lot of friends at school so it was nice to be able to come home and spend the night with people you love, even if you weren’t doing anything special. 

5. She didn’t keep things from us

My mom didn’t have an easy childhood and made her share of mistakes as an adult but she was always open with us about it.

She always told us the truth and didn’t sugar coat the things that had happened to her, and because of this I was able to appreciate how blessed we were.

Not only that but I knew I could talk to her and she would be straight with me. Back then it didn’t seem like a big deal, we just talked to each other and we didn’t keep secrets.

But now as I talk with friends, who are as close to their parents as anyone else, I realize that a lot of families don’t have that openness with one another.

Sure they know about their parents and their lives before kids but not all the dark details that most people don’t like to talk about.

I feel like because my mom didn’t keep things from us, I had a better understanding about life. And no matter how bad things get, God’s plan for you will always be so much more awesome and amazing than you could ever imagine.