This Hobby Made Me A Better Mom – Here’s How
A few weeks ago started what I like to call a bit of a blip on my mommy barometer. A lot of strong emotions were bubbling out of my 5 year old and myself. It was a hard week that had us all on edge. She was feeling independent, defiant, creative, and cunning. I was feeling stress, guilt, resentment, frustration. You name it I was probably feeling it.
I was exhausted as is a usual theme when you’re tending to children and your heart.
In need of a retreat inward I knew time for myself, my hobbies, and my interests was imperative. But, carving out space for me in the midst of parenting is a challenge. It’s not easy to just drop everything for a trip the gym, a shopping spree, or binge reading session with kiddos in the mix.
So I picked up the one thing I knew would ease the burden of my motherhood journey in that moment.
My camera.
Photography has become a lifeline since becoming a mom. No matter where I am on the parenting journey my camera allows me to truly SEE my child. Of course I still love my kiddo even in the midst of our ups and downs, but behind the lens I am able to capture a fresh perspective even when I’m not feeling the most loving. The resulting images allow me to take a step back and FEEL the entirety of love for my child and who she is. All of her.
Her giggles, her laughter, her humor, her spunky quirky style, her independence, her creativity, her intuition, and her innocence.
It’s all there preserved. Seeing her in a slice of our life, makes me a more present and aware mom.
A better mom.
These are some of the ways I know photography is making me a better parent day after day.
I have a new skill to learn and challenge me
As a lifelong learner, I found motherhood to be a bit jarring for my inquisitive heart. Caring for my daughter was the ultimate act of service, but it left little time for my curiosities. Photography opened the door to learning a skill with many technical intricacies and various directions for exploration. There’s always something new I can learn when I pick up a camera!
Photography filled my own desire for a life of creativity
Getting behind the camera lens allowed me to be creative again. I was able to play with light and composition and photo editing to end up with pictures that went beyond snapshots.
The camera gave me a sense of purpose and belonging
As I fell more in love with photography I began to embrace the role of being our family historian wholeheartedly. I felt fulfillment in knowing that I was capturing memories that would serve myself and my family for generations to come.
It helped me see the best in my child — even on the worst days
As referenced above, taking a photo in the heat of a hard parenting moment helped me to gain a fresh perspective. I was able to walk away from a hard moment seeing only the goodness and love for my child and my family.
Photography doesn’t take time away from my child
Photography is the one hobby fits into the motherhood journey fairly seamlessly. My child gets to play and explore her world in a way that feels good to her, while I have a camera in hand ready to practice playing and exploring in my world in a way that feels good to me too.
It connected me to a like-minded community of moms
Through the classes I’ve taken and groups I’ve joined both locally and online I’ve met so many other parents who have a shared love of photography like I do! It’s lovely to have a supportive community I can count on to learn with who gets the joys and challenges of being a mom.
Are you ready to take care of YOU while gaining valuable tips and tricks for snapping great photos of your family? Register now for the completely FREE ‘One Ingredient Fix’ week long photography lesson. In it you’ll learn the one ingredient to change right away to get you taking better photos of your kids.
Beryl Ayn Young is an old soul who is most content sipping lattés and connecting with friends new and old. She’s a lover of warm weather, Chipotle burrito bowls, TOMs shoes, and snuggles from her mini me. She’s swapped days of teaching Kindergarteners how to read and write for weekends and evenings of teaching moms how to love their cameras and their life. Pop over to her site and register for a completely free week long mini class ‘One Ingredient Fix’. where she’ll guide you in taking better photos using one easy tweak you can try right now.
A Mom with a Lesson Plan is a proud affiliate of Beryl Ayn Young and this post does contain affiliate links.