1. Stay True To Yourself: If you take care of your own needs, you will be happier and function better as a mom. Reading, writing, excercise - whatever you love to do.  Make it a priority.

2: Don't Try To Be Perfect: Striving for perfection is always a bad idea.  Life is messy and full of surprises.  Once you become a mom, it's messier and crazier than ever before.  It's important to let go of perfectionism.

3: Ditch The Guilt:  Guilt is not helpful, and is a waste of time and energy.  No mom is perfect, and we all make mistakes.  As long as you are loving your children and providing for their needs, they will turn out fine.

4: Listen To Your Children: We tend to think that we know more than our children, so we don't bother to listen. In addition, we often act as problem solvers.  Sometimes they're not looking for a problem solver, just a listening ear.

5: Be Patient:  Kids are time consuming, loud, and messy.  Try to take a deep breath and see them for who they really are.  They're not grown up yet, and they need you.

6: Be Their Mom, Not Their Friend: Set Limits.

7: Teach Them Simplictity: Teach them not to equate happiness with material posessions. Reuse as much as you can.  Go to the library instead of the book store. Let them declutter their rooms and give unused toys to the less fortunate.

8: Teach Them Self Esteem: High self esteem is an important gift that parents can give their children. A person with high self esteem is more likely to be happy, and reach their full potential.  They are also less likely to stay in an abusive relationship. Show them that you value them by spending time with them, listening to them, and talking to them.

9: Teach Them to Be Self Reliant: Allow them to do things for themselves.  Resist the urge to jump in and help. A sense of accomplishment is very important to a child.

10: Laugh and Have Fun: Kids give you a chance to act like a child again, and see the world through their eyes.  Don't get so caught up in the "Mom" stuff that you forget to have fun.

This article is an excerpt from a guest post by Vered on MomGrind.