Is it surprising that motherhood and marathon both begin with the same letter but I think beyond that they share a few similarities? Unlike the marathon where many who compete, keep training for many months to build stamina to go the distance, motherhood does not give that opportunity upfront.
Most athletes start out very excited and look forward to finishing and not necessarily winning. Aren’t most mums as excited when the pregnancy test is positive, the bump is revealed and all the preparations for the unborn child is made?
The other day you dropped your daughter off at school, you were probably wondering how long you’ll do this. Motherhood, like a marathon isn’t a quick dash. It’s going to take a lot of commitment and perseverance to finish strong as mums. [READ: Motherhood – I Had No Idea]
Unlike the marathon that has cheerleaders along the race route from start to finish, motherhood sometimes has no one cheering or encouraging, we are all just keeping up and sorting out our peculiar issues as they come. We cannot rely on anyone to encourage us to fulfil our roles as mums, we have received a mandate and cannot afford to let God down.
It’s takes a whole year or more to wait on a baby to mature and develop, I’m sure we will be shocked and frightened if our 4-month old baby got out of her cot and walked down the stairs. It would be alarming so why do we expect the rigours of motherhood to be over in a few years with just a twirl of a magic wand?
As most athletes who are running for the first time, they use up most of their energy in the first half of the race, then struggle through to the finish line. You want to ensure you have got energy and stamina for the toddler years and the turbulent ride through the teenage years.
It’s amazing to consider the order of development as we watch our kids grow. While they are going through a process, we are obviously going through one ourselves. The first few weeks of a baby’s life, they lay still in the same position with your support for their head and back. Her neck gets stronger but her spine isn’t strong enough to support her sitting just yet. [READ: The Joy Of Fatherhood, Pains of Motherhood]
When her neck and back can support more load, she will begin to pull up and stand on her feet. So, it’s head first, her spine and feet last. In the various stages of motherhood, the first five to seven years, we need to be careful what they are exposed to, this is their formative years before they are set in their ways. What they see and hear will stay with them for life.
Before they switch off and run off as teenagers or young adults, they need all the support – spiritual and emotional to pull up and stand on their own later. With so much confusion out there, equip them with all they need to differentiate between black and white.
You want to be there to answer their questions and not send them out to just anyone. Don’t be too busy to cuddle and kiss them as often as you can so they won’t go looking for love in the wrong places.  Like kids learning to walk, it’s ok to fall and keep trying but don’t prevent them from making mistakes. [READ: To Be a Mother is Not a Day’s Job]
Only one person wins the marathon but many more are celebrated for finishing the race. When your daughter or son finally steps out on their own on the world’s stage whether as a pianist, a pilot or a president, you’ll be glad you didn’t give up but persevered to the end.
Contributor – Ayo Iyiola-Olumide
