Diaper Dust isn't the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. I am a mom to a now 4.5 year old boy who keeps me on my toes. Every stage is different and as a first-time mom I went through stages. The first was: Let me try to do this parenting thing my way. The Second was: Never mind, I need all the advice I can get! But now: Let me be intentional with the information I consume and the advice I follow.
I recently went through the accounts I follow and weeded out the ones that didn’t align with my goals as a parent. I unfollowed the “bad mom” accounts that I used to think were funny. I unfollowed the accounts that just kept trying to tell me I was a good mom and give myself a break. I didn’t want toxic positivity, and I didn’t want advice that wasn’t applicable.
So in my journey to be more intentional with my time, the information I consume, and my parenting, these are the three accounts and the platforms in which I follow them. From a random mom at the park, to a friend I have had for years, I would highly recommend these to anyone. Their information is useful, kind, and relatable.
Libby Ward is a digital creator, speaker, and mental health advocate. I came across her account when I was creating my own TikTok following and I found myself watching and re-watching her content. The Honest Mom brings a unique perspective to "mom-ing" as she navigates her way through breaking the cycles of trauma. What I love about her content is that her message lands in a way that doesn’t make you feel like she is teaching you something, but rather processing something with you. She connects with her audience and I am no exception. I am a mom that is learning new things, unlearning bad lessons and processing my own responses to parenting. The Honest Mom is such breath of relatable air and I encourage anyone that is a growing mom and human being to follow her. Bonus- She recently had her content plagiarized and if you are anything like me, the way a creator handles their audience, their comments, the responses to their content, will make or break my following of them. She handled it with grace and was a true example of the content she creates. I loved to see it.
Source: Google/tiktok
Big Little Feelings – Instagram and Facebook
This page was recommended to me by a friend. If I am being honest - I was finding myself desperately searching for spoon-fed advice for how to not be an angry parent. I didn’t want to be the yeller, the spanker, the mom that would make my son run to his room when I got home. When I started following Big Little Feelings I found their tips very easy to execute. The examples they provided were real life, in-the-thick-of-it, mid-meltdown, examples that were the answers to “What the HECK do I do now?!”
Much like The Honest Mom- I don’t feel like their content is coming from a place of knowing it all, but a place of intentional parenting. If you are looking to improve your communication with you children, this is the account all day!
Source: Google/tiktok
Who doesn’t love a socially awkward influencer? I have been following Elyse Myers since “Taco Guy” and for finding the reasons why I follow her, I don’t even know where to start. She speaks to my self-doubt and in the most matter-of-fact way tells it to shut up. I have often created a video and could only press “post” because I had a “Go Find Less” voice in my head, a “What Would Elyse Myers Do” moment if you will. Her account is eclectic and even when I can’t relate to her Bachelor and Bridgerton content I still find myself being so genuinely happy for her. You just can’t help it. You are quite literally watching an ordinary person’s dreams come true and she is so kind to allow us to see it happening. She is a mom, an imperfect human, and I can appreciate not feeling so alone in being the same. Everyone deserves to follow Elyse, I am convinced she is single handedly making the world a better place.
Source: Google/tiktok
In summary, when it comes to the internet and all the information that is available, I try to be just as intentional with what I allow my mom-brain to consume as I am with what food I put into my body. Content can be nourishment or it can be poison. These three accounts have been consistent with their information, their experiences, and their advice. I hope you find them to be as useful as I do.
Warmly,
Regina