By Michelle Shearer

How much information is there out there nowadays about how to be a ‘good mum’?  With the loss of our extended families and connection with the older women in our communities who would, in the past, have mothered the mothers, we turn to text books and strangers to help us along the motherhood path for validation, that we’re doing the right thing or what to do and how to do it.

There’s an overwhelming amount of information out there and I wondered the other day, as I read yet another blog post of a stranger’s opinion of what is ‘right and good’, whether surely, the answer was right there within us all as mothers and under our noses.

I asked my daughter: “What is one thing that makes a good mum, you think?”

She said “A good mum listens to her kids”.

Yes!   I don’t need a book!

We asked the MamaBakers to turn to their nearest wee one and and ask them the same question.  And what followed was a beautiful collection of qualities our kids believe makes good mamas.  These answers are from toddlers up to teenagers.

I went through them all (and boy, did they choke me up – link to original thread below) and here are the main themes (throw away all your parenting textbooks, our kids have all the answers!):

The top 5 over-arching themes.

1. To Feel Loved – don’t underestimate the power of the cuddle

2. To Feel Safe – the children talked of their mum’s keeping them safe in various scenarios from building sites to the zombie apocalypse

3. To feel cared for  – helping them go to the loo, dressing them, taking them to school

4. To be fed – they love their mama’s food!

5. To have time spent with them: hanging out/playing-  they love it when we spend time with them.

Now, grab yourself a cuppa and read through what all the kids said in the original thread (so beautiful).

What does your child say is most important to him/her?