Am I a Good Mother?

No matter what I do, this question pesters me every now and then. Like every other parent, I do want my angel to be the best of the best in the world. I know it’s a little too much but I believe in the statement that says,

“Try for the stars, for you might at least reach the moon”.

Right from when she was born, I keep telling her “NO-NO, that’s what bad girls do” when she pulls my hair or does something naughty; and people keep telling me, “She’s too small to understand, you are for sure to be a strict mom in the future!” Well, that hurts me, because for me, she will always remain my small angel no matter how big she grows. And so, how will I know she has grown up to be advised? So, to be on a safer side, I started reacting right from when she was small so that when she gains the ability to understand she will get through my words. But on the other side, I don’t want to be a strict parent whom the little one may dislike in future. I keep questioning myself, am I really strict or am I overreacting?

And as and when she grew, my little angel started to be naughty by time. As I adore children being naughty, I didn’t scold or punish her for the smallest of the things but yes I do make sure she learns the basics of life as, listening to elders, respecting them, basics of behaving, manners and such. When ever she made a mistake, I made sure to give her a helping hand and correcting her where needed. Not all the situations were friendly though, I had to be strict and had to scold her where stubbornness came our way. But again, I hear comments as, “She’s too small to learn that”, or “Why do you keep scolding the poor soul” or gives her that sympathetic look as if I am about to eat her alive! Once again I’m confused! I just want her to grow up right! After all she’s a smaller version of me! If ever she does a mistake in future, more than the fact that the same people around would blame me to have grown her up wrong, my baby would have to go through the consequence.

But at the end of the day, when my baby tell me, “Mamma, I love you the most!” Something in my heart says I am on the right track even though somewhere on the other corner the question still remains, “Am I a good mom?”