Being a mom is an honor and I think every mom who loves their child unconditionally rocks the mom game, but I have to say, I think my Latina upbringing makes me a better mom than what I would have otherwise been. The culture itself is very nurturing and maternal, we love big and we're an all-in kind of people. The mama bear in us is strong. My Latina roots have allowed me to love, care for and nurture my children in a fierce way that sometimes even surprises me.
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1. We raise strong women by being strong examples.
We're passionate people who demand respect and are not afraid to stand up for the people and things we believe in. We're not afraid you won't like us — because we know sometimes you don't like people — but you always love family. Our No. 1 job is to raise you into adulthood as a good person who respects himself or herself, as well as others. We want you to be strong and tenacious and we're not afraid to teach you to be both.
2. We are go-getters and hard workers, and we teach these traits to our children. My parents taught me — and I teach my girls — that everything is possible through hard work and determination. What you make of yourself just depends on how hard you want to work to get there; nothing is impossible.
3. We raise children who have faith in themselves and their future because we raise them with faith in God.
In my house, my parents raised us to believe that whatever they could not do for us or we could not do for ourselves, God would put a solution in our path when we needed it most. I do the same with my girls. When life is at it's hardest, I try my best to not to worry because I know that God's got my back, and that gives me courage to carry on.
4. We are not afraid to discipline you.
I always want my children to be able to come to me with the big questions in life and any dilemmas, but first, I have to teach them right from wrong. Society only works if people know the difference, and we know that by letting our children get away with bad behavior, we are not doing them any favors. We are setting our children up for an unrealistic view of the world. I'm a fan of rewarding good behavior and taking things away for bad behavior because real life has consequences. However, I have been the recipient of the flying chancla and though it's never been used, my girls know it's not off the table.
5. We love you to the moon and back and then some.
I love my daughters with a fierceness that sometimes scares me because I realize that when they leave, I might die. No, seriously, I won't die but I will have a giant void in my arms and I will probably need to call my daughters daily. I'm already planning on being a very involved grandma someday. My daughters will always know that I love them. They will never wonder and in that unconditional (slightly overbearing) love, they will feel comfortable enough to try and fail in life because they know they will always have my love and our home to come back to. Honestly, when you have unconditional love, can you truly ever fail in life?
What in your upbringing makes you a better parent?
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