From Our CEO, Kelly O’Lague

“You’re always going to wonder if you’re doing things wrong, but that’s what it means to be a mom, to care so much about someone else that you just want to be as perfect as possible.” — Naya Rivera

There’s nothing that I love more than being a mom. Well, having a wonderful daughter-in-law and a beautiful granddaughter are every bit as great! And, lucky me, my sister lets me share her two grandchildren! But…let’s be honest. Motherhood is hard! My mom used to say, “You’ll never understand how much I worry about you or how much I love you until you have children of your own.” She was so right!

I know it’s a little cliche to say that it takes a village to raise a child, but it truly does. We need to support each other (“You got this!”), remind each other (“You’re doing a great job!”) and be there through the good times and the bad (ok, my friends, you know who you are!!). I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by women, young and old, who helped me raise my kids (pictured above). I am reminded every time I think of them how blessed I was and continue to be to have that support.

At Child Care Links, we are the village for moms in our community! We work every day to ensure that moms have the support and resources they need to raise happy, healthy kids. We invite you to be part of our village!

I am reading an amazing book, The Gift of a Happy Mother: Letting Go of Perfection and Embracing Everyday Joy. The author of the book, Rebecca Eanes, recounts a conversation with her young son in which she asked him, “Would you rather have a perfect mom or a happy one?” She says that without skipping a beat, he said, “a HAPPY one.” This month we will be offering a workshop on the topic! We invite you to put yourself in “mom time-out.” Join us as we celebrate motherhood…the joys and the struggles! You’ll leave with a copy of Rebecca’s book, some new friends and hopefully a sense that your happiness is an amazing gift you give yourself AND your children. I hope you’ll join us on May 7th. You can register below in our events section.

As we celebrate all the moms (and bonus moms) in our lives (including ourselves), take a minute to focus on what you’re doing right! Take a minute to thank your mom, grandma, sister, whoever raised you (and, yes, we’ll thank the dads in our lives next month). And, last but not least, thank the people who are helping you to raise your own kids!

We invite you to make a gift to Child Care Links in their memory/honor to help moms in our community who need our support. Be part of the village by donating diapers or books in memory of your mom. Send a check to honor the women who raised you. Or click here! Consider volunteering at Child Care Links. You’ll not only be providing a much-needed service, you’ll also meet other moms who will expand and enhance your village!

Happy Mother’s Day!