At Fearless Mom, we believe that there are a lot of ways to not only endure motherhood but to ENJOY it! One of the best ways to do that is to lean into our motherhood community and learn from the perspective other moms can provide (and a few laughs never hurt anyone!)
We thought that it would be fun to “interview” a mom in our fearless community with all girls, and one with all boys. That way, we can learn from their experience as we attempt to be the best moms we can be to the children in our lives!
So, without further ado, here is our interview with Betsy Weinberg, a “girl mom!”
How many girls do you have, and what are their ages?
I have 3 girls: Quinn who is 6 ½, River who is 4, and Taytum who is 15 months.
Did you always imagine being a girl mom?
I loved the idea of having a little “mini-me,” but I never pictured myself as JUST a girl mom. When my dad was at the end of his life, I promised him that our first baby boy would be named after him, Wyatt James. In my mind, I wanted/needed a boy to fulfill this. I thought that this was in my control, HA! Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter… God knew exactly what we needed. By our third girl I just finally gave up on having a boy (in a humorous way) and told Taytum that she needed to step up and represent the name for the family as Taytum James.
What has being a girl mom taught you?
Patience! I fall short over, and over, and over again, and raising young girls is a job that makes me ask myself, “Who hired me for this? I AM NOT QUALIFIED!!!!”
I am learning something new every single day from each of my daughters. Quinn had me fooled and led me to believe that I had this parenting gig all figured out because all that baby needed to be happy was her momma, some fresh air, and tacos! She slept, never had tantrums, and was just the most precious thing! She taught me that my heart now lives outside of my body.
When River came into this world, I felt the ground underneath me shake a little bit. God must have been saying, “Betsy, draw closer to me because I have given you a gift that will change the world. Somehow, someway, someday…. she will. But raising her will take EVERY. OUNCE. OF. YOUR. BEING!” River forces me to look beyond myself and my capabilities every day. She feels every emotion in a big way, which in turn forces me to ride those waves with her. Taking on her emotions has forced me to strengthen my self-control. Sometimes I feel like I am raising myself, too! She is my “strong-willed-blessing” and her passionate nature is what I love about her.
Taytum taught me to slow down now that our little girl gang was complete. Having ALL girls was a gift I didn’t know I needed. Having girls teaches me to constantly strive to be a better version of myself because I know they are watching. In doing so, I pray that I impact and shape their lives so that they may feel confident in whatever their future holds!
Long answer short: Being a “girl mom” has taught me that I need to constantly keep growing as a mom, wife, friend, and woman!
What is the best part of being a girl mom?
HAND-ME-DOWNS! Also, at this stage of their lives, I feel like I am part of this special club where we are all into the same things. We play together, we dance, and we sing! I have my own little girl gang and I love it. I feel like one of the best parts is teaching these girls how to love, be loyal, and be a solid friend. I feel so honored to enjoy their big moments and the little moments when we are just hanging out together.
What is the most challenging part of being a girl mom?
Wondering what having a little boy would be like. I know that we have everything we need and it is MORE than enough, but it is really hard for the heart not to wonder sometimes. I do not dwell in this space, but it does cross my mind from time to time.
What’s the most unexpected part of being a girl mom?
How much love I would feel from them and how much pressure I would feel to shape them. I feel like the weight of their future is on my shoulders sometimes, and preparing 3 young ladies for this world is just not something I ever thought I would be in the position of doing. I try to tell myself that “they were made for such a time as this” to replace my worry with trust.
What is the funniest observation your girls have made about boys?
My girls cannot understand why God gave boys nipples…. “’ Bobs’ are for babies, why do boys need them?”
I can’t blame them for wondering! HA!
What do you regularly pray over your girls?
My prayers change when they are sick or going through something specific like the weeks River was having intense nightmares. But everyday, after they fall asleep, I pray this over them:
“Dear Lord, please protect my babies. Please fill their hearts with only holy things and shield them with Your armor against any evil of this world. Fill their hearts with kindness and love for others, and a curiosity and willingness to know You, Lord! Please keep them healthy in mind and body and let them know Your love. In Your name, I pray. Amen.”
What do you wish you had known when your first baby girl came into the world?
Soak.It. In.
I think when Quinn came into the world, I was hyper-focused on milestones, sleep training, and just all the things. Quinn was in the NICU so our introduction to parenting was managed by hospital staff. While I was grateful that she was safe, I still felt like we were always rushing. I wish I would have soaked in more of the tiny moments. I allowed the chaos and clutter of the world to distract me instead of just being with her. At least I took about 9 Million pictures and videos!
What advice do you have for other moms of girls?
Take the time every day to REALLY get to know them so that you don’t raise them all the same.
Just because they are all girls, doesn’t mean that one style of parenting will work across the board. Sometimes, what you think is the right way for your girls might not be what they individually need. While our parenting principles always remain the same, praise, consequence, discipline, etc., may need to look a little bit different for each child.
