don't let your imperfection get you down!

Hi! I’m Regan, an imperfect Mom of 8 and founder of Momivate. I just want to share my conviction of the importance of motherhood -- even imperfect motherhood -- and the love for mothers that I’ve been growing in my heart for the last twenty years.
Pssst… If you do not currently love motherhood, I want you to know that this is OKAY!!! Motherhood is difficult, demanding, challenging, taxing, exhausting.... Our tendency as humans is to NOT LOVE hard things. So here’s a special welcome to the non-judgmental, accepting land of Momivate. This is the right place to get a little “momivation” from others who have been in that land of distaste for mothering, and sometimes we still visit (to be honest)...
One of our foundational tenets here at Momivate is based on this quote by Jill Churchill:
Pssst… If you do not currently love motherhood, I want you to know that this is OKAY!!! Motherhood is difficult, demanding, challenging, taxing, exhausting.... Our tendency as humans is to NOT LOVE hard things. So here’s a special welcome to the non-judgmental, accepting land of Momivate. This is the right place to get a little “momivation” from others who have been in that land of distaste for mothering, and sometimes we still visit (to be honest)...
One of our foundational tenets here at Momivate is based on this quote by Jill Churchill:
“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.”
A funny thing about motherhood: you gain your education as you go, unlike other professions where you study up in advance. No one required that I pass an exam before I take the baby home from the hospital. (Yes, they give you exams while in labor at the hospital, but not THAT kind!)
I may have picked up some ideas as a babysitter, or watching other mothers, but that was outside of myself... Motherhood is so internal, so personal, and so stretching of every faculty that it can only be learned through experience! |

I take comfort in the fact that I get to keep my job, even though I only get it right about half the time (like the weatherman!). Yes, this can be discouraging sometimes, but I’ve decided to embrace this process of growth! After all, my children are going through this growing process too, and I can set an example of what to do when we make mistakes. I celebrate the progress I’ve made since yesterday, and look forward to being a better version of myself tomorrow. And for today, I can gather my children around me and remember that as long as they’re being nourished both emotionally and physically, we’re going to survive!
Sometimes I want to do more than survive, though, right?! – I want to thrive!! Surrounding myself with little quotes is one way I buoy myself up if I feel like I’m drowning in the difficulties of motherhood. A few years ago I hung a huge bulletin board at the bottom of the stairs and tasked my twin daughters to fill it up with inspiration. One of the quotes they chose was new to me:
Nothing is impossible. The word itself says: “I’m possible!”
Moms!! Let’s apply this same wisdom to the word imperfect!
Let’s look at our imperfect selves and choose to pronounce that word: “I’m perfect!”
No One is IMPERFECT -- the word itself says: "I'm Perfect!"
The truth is, you really are perfect as you are in this moment. Stick with me as I try to convince you of this logic, that you can be perfect even though your imperfections ceaselessly clamor to get the most attention. The key is to...
This magnificent Ted Talk (only six minutes long!) introduces you to a new vocabulary word: MATRESCENCE -- and gives you that "ah-ha!" to help you understand your complex feelings toward motherhood. Enjoy!