It is the Night I Stopped Trying to Be Perfect
Motherhood didn’t come with a manual—just a tiny human who somehow knew exactly when I was about to lose my mind.
That night, my baby wouldn’t sleep.
I had done everything right. Fed him. Changed him. Rocked him. Sang softly like I’d seen other mums do online. But still, he cried. And cried. And cried.
The house was quiet, but my thoughts were loud.
“Maybe I’m not doing this right.” “Maybe I’m not enough.”
Tears filled my eyes as I sat on the edge of the bed, holding him close. It was past midnight, and exhaustion was slowly taking over. I looked at his tiny face, scrunched up in discomfort, and something inside me softened.
Maybe he didn’t need perfection.
Maybe he just needed me.
So I stopped trying to “fix” everything. I held him closer, let him cry in my arms, and whispered softly, “I’m here.” No pressure. No expectations. Just presence.
Slowly, his cries became softer… then quieter… then silence.
He fell asleep on my chest.
And in that quiet moment, I realized something I will never forget—being a good mum isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up, even when you feel like you're failing.
That night, I didn’t become a perfect mother.
I became a real one
Image source: Fenah Chereka