Summer is Coming: Are you ready?

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As a mom do you feel ready for summer and swimsuit season? Summer is coming….

I love summer. I really do. The month of May brings the end of school, the start of 100 degree temps and leads us into swimsuit season. 

Growing up in Arizona, there are a two things you learn about summer in a desert. 

  1. It’s hot.
  2.  A pool is a necessity. 

It can be blow up, plastic, diving, play, whatever; but get yourself a pool. 

Which also means get yourself a swimsuit. 

Now that I have 3 children, all under the age of 4, finding a swimsuit that I actually feel confident in is like searching for the Holy Grail. My body doesn’t exactly look like it did when I was 16. That body left after baby number one. Can I be ok with that? I’m going to be honest, as the weather began to heat up, I wasn’t ok. In fact, I was dreading getting in a swimsuit to play with my kids.

I work out daily, I try to eat well usually, and it has never been this hard for me to shed the pounds. I feel extremely vulnerable and not ready to be seen by others in what basically could be my underwear. At the same time, I want to be the mom that makes memories with her kids, and not one who sat on the sidelines because she doesn’t look like Heidi Klum. That’s not really what matters. 

So what does matter?

My children want ME. They love me even though I am squishier than I used to be and honestly, I think they prefer it. My mom tummy is the perfect spot for my boys to rest their heads and fall asleep. The legs that definitely show no sign of a “thigh gap” race them in our backyard and show them how to be strong. Lined with stretch marks, and no longer tight my abdomen refuses to be contained, but it also stretched and shrank 3 times in the past three years. It carried life, it sheltered my children. 

As much as I may be embarrassed by my body, my most precious treasures came to be because of it and they love me because I am mommy. I am looking forward to celebrating my body for what it is, and won’t cover it with shame. I will be the mom in the water with my kids. They will be splashed by me, chase me through the spray pads, and hopefully will jump in feet first with me. 

It IS hard. There is a lot of pressure as women and as moms, to be perfect and look perfect. However, we place them on ourselves and our children could care less. I refuse to allow my self centered insecurities rob me or my children of joy. 

Jump in….the water is fine!

 

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