Raising Kids & Raising Yourself: The Parallel Glow-Up Journeys of Motherhood

Hey sis, welcome back to The Glow-Up Journal. I’m Ashley Springs—educator, mentor, sports mom, and your glow-up bestie walking this motherhood journey right beside you.

Raising kids isn’t the only journey happening in your house. You’re also raising yourself every single day.

Motherhood isn’t just a job. It’s a mirror. A teacher. A stretching season. A whole glow-up you didn’t even know you were signing up for.

🪞 The Mirror of Motherhood

Some mornings you wake up with a calm plan—soft voice, patience, maybe even a playlist ready. And then real life hits. Someone can’t find their shoe, someone forgot homework, someone else is hungry again, and suddenly the house feels like a track meet with emotions everywhere.

Every now and then, our kids give us a moment that humbles us. Maybe it’s a quiet “It’s okay, Mom. We’re together,” when you’re stressed about being late. Moments like that remind us they’re not just learning from us—we’re learning from them.

🌱 Growing Together

We track their milestones, grades, and growth—but forget to notice our own. The truth? You’re growing and learning at the exact same time they are.

Here are a few lessons motherhood keeps teaching me:

1) Let Them See You Learn

• Kids don’t need a perfect mom. They need a real one.
• Let them see you apologize, try again, calm down, and make better choices.
• They learn more from your honesty than from you pretending to have it all together.

2) Extend Yourself Grace

• You’d never rush your child through learning something new.
• Give yourself that same patience. You’re learning on the job.
• Every time you respond with a little more patience than last time—that’s growth.

3) Celebrate Growth, Not Just Milestones

• Kids have milestone charts. Moms have moments.
• Moments where you stayed calm. Moments where you chose connection over control.
• These are the quiet wins that mark your own glow-up journey.

📚 Motherhood: The Ultimate Classroom

Motherhood will stretch you, soften you, sharpen you, and strengthen you. It’s a classroom you didn’t apply for, but one that shapes you into the woman you hoped to become.

Your kids aren’t just learning from you—you’re learning from them. From their honesty, their joy, their curiosity, and the way they bounce back. They remind you to breathe, slow down, and unlearn old patterns.

Take a moment and ask yourself: What have my kids taught me this week?

🌟 Embrace the Shared Journey

At the end of the day, motherhood is two glow-ups happening at the same time:

• You’re raising them.
• And you’re raising you.

You’re becoming calmer, wiser, more grounded, and more yourself. Not perfectly—but beautifully.

You’re raising them, but they’re also raising you. And together, you’re building something beautiful. 💛