25 Days of family Christmas devotionals to help your family remember the reason for the season

While the Christmas season is all about celebrating God’s gift to us through His Son, Jesus, it is also a hectic time for most families — mine included! As we work to keep up with everything on our to-do lists, we can miss out on connecting with our families. That’s why an Advent devotional for families is a great way to help your family connect and remember the reason for the season. And having devotionals that only take about five minutes is even better!

Christmas time is busy. Having a Christmas devotional for your family is the perfect way to work in purposeful family time that focuses on the greatest gift of all: Jesus! Starting at the beginning of December and going through Christmas Day, these devotionals are a great addition to your family’s routine this year.

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Advent devotionals for families that make a difference

When my children were young, we tried a few different Advent devotionals for families and found them lacking. We wanted to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, but the content often was too advanced for my toddler and preschooler. Using a Christmas devotional for kids didn’t work well. Even I struggled to pay attention to the daily readings! They were just too long.

Since we struggled to find devotional books that worked for our family, we got creative in going through the story of Christmas with our children. We started with reading a Bible verse a day to go through the Christ’s birth. As my children got a bit older into early elementary for my oldest, we started talking about the verses. I knew we needed more.

And that’s why I put together the original “A Family Christmas” devotion book. It’s filled with 5-minute devotions for Dec. 1 through 25. The first volume was written simply for younger children to really understand. 

As my children got older, they were ready to go deeper into the story of Jesus and His birth and apply it to their own lives. So, I put together “A Family Christmas, Volume 2” written with more in-depth discussion questions for older children. 

An Advent devotional for younger children

This Advent devotional for families is a great devotional guide to take your whole family through the true story of Christmas. This four-week Advent family devotional starts Dec. 1 and ends Dec. 25. It’s simply dated so it can be reused from one Advent season to the next.

Each day has a focus Scripture that progresses through the birth of Jesus. To ensure God’s Word is accessible and understandable for young children, so all Bible verses come from the International Children’s Bible.

Along with a daily Scripture, there are also discussion questions and a prayer. While each family is different, I estimate each devotional time will take around 5 minutes.

The discussion question allows you flexibility as family members share from their own life and experiences. Spend as much or as little time as you want. Some days you may chat together for a few minutes while other days may go quicker.

If your children are able to read, you can take turns with the daily Scripture readings and questions. Or you can alternate with your spouse if you want.

Finally, the daily prayer can be read as written or you can pray your own prayer – however God is leading your heart. “A Family Christmas, Volume 1,” works well for a family Advent devotional to explore the Biblical truth of Christmas in an age-appropriate way for toddlers through early elementary children.

An Advent devotional for older children​

As my children got older, we needed to go deeper. “A Family Christmas, Volume 2,” offers terrific daily devotions throughout the weeks of Advent for families with upper elementary through teens. It also has a verse or two for each day to go through the story of Jesus’ birth. The Scripture is taken from the New International Version instead. 

Just like with Volume 1, each day also has discussion questions and suggested prayer. However, Volume 2 offers more text and really delves into applying the lessons of the Christmas story to our own lives.

For example, some days include questions about why God did things a certain way in the Christmas story. The questions let older kids get into discussions about the significance of certain elements of the Christmas story while also relating it to their own lives. 

Each day also has a new section called “Go Deeper” that includes more in-depth questions for your family to delve into. 

Either book can work for children of all ages with a bit of modification. The overall goal of the Advent devotional experience is to have family time centered around the focus of Christmas. 

Where to get “A Family Christmas” devotionals

Both volumes of “A Family Christmas” are available in various options. You can order hard copies on Amazon or purchase the devotionals for Kindle. 

And, here’s some good news. The Kindle versions are part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service. If you aren’t familiar with Kindle Unlimited, for a monthly fee, you have access to more than a million books that you can read on your Kindle or through the Kindle app on your device. 

If you prefer a digital download, then the Families with Grace Etsy store has both versions available as a downloadable PDF. 

No matter where you find them, “A Family Christmas” devotional books will take your family through the month of December and keep you focused on that first Christmas and the true reason for the season.

A tradition about Jesus​

Along with doing our daily Christmas devotional, our family has other fun activities that are part of the holiday season. We usually purchase an Advent calendar with candy for each kiddo. 

Each family has its own Christmas traditions. For my family, those traditions have shifted and changed as my children grow older and change as well. We used to do a countdown to Christmas, but now both of my kids are old enough they don’t need that so much. 

We also try and do things to keep our focus from material gifts and on the amazing gift of Jesus Christ. Spending just about five minutes each day of December going an Advent devotional for families draws us closer to each other and to God. And that’s one of the best Christmas gifts any mama can ask for!

Don’t miss these posts for more family Christmas ideas!

8 Simple Christmas traditions to bring your family closer (plus 2 FREE printables!)

Free Printable Elf on the Shelf Letters with Elf Ideas

How to Keep Christ in Christmas

Mom gift ideas she’ll love

Coming up with the best Christmas gift ideas for mom friends can be challenging. Finding the best gifts for even your own mom or mother-in-law is challenging! 

Honestly, sometimes I struggle to come up with the best gift ideas for myself. I mean, my actual Christmas list would include things like: naptime, no laundry for a month, chocolate that doesn’t have sugar or calories, lazy days and food I didn’t plan, shop and make! I find it difficult to come up with gift ideas for myself many times, so I understand why my family can struggle.

Here’s the thing about Christmas and moms, though. We work really hard to make sure the holiday is festive and happy for everyone around us. Having a thoughtful gift under the tree for us is much appreciated. And these gift ideas do just that.

Use these gift-giving ideas for mom friends, yourself, family members or anyone who is a mom!

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Mom apparel

Lots of mom apparel utilizes sarcastic humor. While that’s OK, I love more positive mom apparel. In fact, I created my own line of mom apparel on Zazzle filled with minimalist designs I love and a mix of sweet and humorous mom shirts.

I love giving unique gifts, and this shirt fits the bill. With its slogan: “I run on chocolate, grace and Jesus” it’s the perfect present for any mom friend!

This shirt is a terrific best mom friend gift. We all need the reminder that we are rocking our mom journey with grace.

This perfect gift for moms came from the realization that I have nothing saying I’m the world’s best mom, but my husband has quite a few. This came up when my daughter decided to be a tired mom for Halloween. I’m guessing any mommy friend would appreciate this sentiment!

The ideal Christmas gift for moms is one that reminds her how blessed she is. Busy moms in the fray of daily life and the holiday season can sometimes overlook the little things (and big things) that are such a blessing.

This shirt might be good encouragement for new moms who are struggling with sleep exhaustion. But all moms would love this reminder of how terrific it is to be a mama!

Beyond shirts, other mom apparel option is hats. Whether she’s having a bad hair day or just needs to block the sun, a cute mom hat can be a great option for any mom friend. . 

I love this hat that simply says “Mom.” The best part is that it comes in a variety of options for colors. 

This “Mama” hat is simple and would be a special gift for any mom.

And all of us moms have a mama bear hiding inside of us that comes out when she’s needed. That’s what makes this adorable mama bear hat such a good gift idea!

Don’t forget to keep her tootsies warm with these adorable mama bear slippers that come in various patterns and colors. They’re a great idea to use in gift baskets for moms as well!

Mom jewelry

I’ve loved jewelry since I was a toddler, so my mind also goes to jewelry as a great gift for mom friends. Every day I wear a ring that has my children’s names on it along with their birthstones. I also have a necklace of a mama bird with eggs that match my children’s birthstones that I got a few years ago for less than $20 and wear it a few times each week. 

It doesn’t have to be expensive jewelry to be meaningful and make a great gift. None of these options cost more than $35! Jewelry makes for amazing gifts that make your holiday shopping easier.

This necklace is a great way for moms to showcase their kiddos in beautiful jewelry. The stones come in different colors to reflect the birth months of your children. You can get this necklace with two to six children. 

This simple mom bracelet comes in both gold and silver finishes. It’s easily adjustable and on the back side of the mom charm it says “Bonded by love, connected for life.” How sweet is that?!

These custom necklaces offer a more subtle way to showcase birthstones for moms. If your friend loves jewelry, she’s sure to love one of these necklaces that offers one to five jewels.

If your mom friend has a daughter, then this sweet mother and daughter necklace is a heartfelt gift she’ll enjoy sharing with her daughter as well.

​Available in gold, silver and rose gold, this mama bear necklace can hold up to five baby bears. This would be an ideal gift for a close friend that she’d love to wear!

For your mom friends with two children, this sterling silver infinity pendant necklace is the perfect present because it includes the whole family.

Books for moms

Books are also great Christmas gift ideas for mom. She’ll appreciate a good book that refreshes and uplifts her. 

Christian mom friends will enjoy this “Bible Promises for Moms” from Heidi St. John. It’s a pocket-sized book of Scriptures and short devotions to encourage and uplift moms. In just a few minutes a day, your mom friend can put this book to good use and grow in her faith.

One gift all moms appreciate is quality time with their children. This two-person coloring book is a great way for a mom and child to bond while coloring side-by-side.

Another good idea for quality time is this mom and daughter shared journal. Moms and their daughters take turns writing in the journal with its prompts. It’s one of the best products to bring Christian moms and daughters together.

Sarah Young’s entire “Jesus Calling” book series has been popular for years for a reason: it’s well written and powerful. “Jesus Calling for Moms” is an excellent gift for moms. It has 50 devotions written just for mamas’ hearts. 

This year-long book of prayers offers prayers for moms to cover all circumstances of life.

I can’t compile a list of gift ideas for moms and not include “The Christian Woman’s Gratitude Journal.” This prompted gratitude and prayer journal also includes 10 encouraging devotionals and makes a great gift. Pair it with a nice ink pen to turn it into a gift set any mama will enjoy!

Sentimental sign gifts for mom

We moms enjoy being appreciated and loved, so sometimes a sentimental sign gift can be perfect. Check out these ideas:

For the boy mom friend in your life, this framed wall art states: “A woman with all sons will be surrounded by handsome men the rest of her life.” So cute!

Sometimes a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor can be the perfect gift from one mom to another. Like this sign that declares: “Life doesn’t come with a manual. It comes with a mother.”

What mom says goes, right? OK. We moms know that our rules should be the final word. This fun gift can be a great option for a mom friend!

We all need a reminder that we aren’t — and can’t! — be perfect. This box sign does just that!

This framed Mom wall art features Proverbs 31:25-30 in the background. It’s a great gift idea for Christian moms in your life. (And it also has an Aunt and Grandma option.)

Photo gifts for mom

This family tree picture frame stand holds six photos. It’s one of those Christmas gift ideas for mom friends that most moms would enjoy. After all, she gets to decorate this tree with faces of her favorite people!

If your mom friend has a green thumb, this plant and picture frame combo makes a nice gift. She can put in her own plant or flowers or use the vase to store other things like writing utensils or decorative rocks.

Having a combined two photo frames and felt letter board, this would be a great gift for moms. The character set for the letter board includes 160 letters, emojis and symbols so she can truly make it her own.

If you’re doing some Christmas shopping for a new mom or mom-to-be, this ultrasound picture frame that simply says “Love at first sight” would be a perfect present.

For a more last-minute gift, a gift card or subscription service for a photo printing company like Shutterfly, Vistaprint or Snapfish also are ideal for moms who also have photos to manage. She can print her own photos and photo products.

Cups and mugs for moms

Whether it’s a water bottle, tumbler or coffee mug, moms appreciate having something to keep them hydrated. And we’ve found some great gift ideas that fall into this category.

Let’s start with this super sweet option for moms (or anyone!). It says: “Sometimes you forget you’re awesome so this is your reminder.” You can get it as a mug or 20-ounce tumbler with a few different color options.

Or keep it simple with this retro vibe “Mama” stainless steel tumbler. It holds 20 ounces and comes with straws and a straw cleaner. It has a variety of options that include options like autism mom, dog mom, boy mom, grandma and best mom ever.

Remember the days of having clubs we made up during recess? Update that to adulthood to make this “Cool Moms Club” tumbler a best friend gift.

Sometimes having just a plain tumbler fits your friend the most. This stainless steel vacuum insulated 40-ounce tumbler has a handle and comes in a variety of colors. Plus it’s dishwasher safe, comes with its own straw and is leakproof!

If your mom friend enjoys coffee, tea, hot chocolate or mugs in general, then we’ve got some great options for those as well! Let’s start with a simple “Mom Life” mug that comes in two different color options.

And then we’ve got to move onto funny coffee mugs for moms. For the girl mom in your life, this might be a good option since it says: “May your coffee be stronger than your daughter’s attitude.”

We’ll round out this gift guide of Christmas gift ideas for mom friends with this 14-ounce coffee tumbler that gives an amusing and honest definition for “Mom.”

White elephant gift ideas that are good, clean fun!

While figuring out gifts in general can be a challenge, one of the categories I struggle with the most is white elephant gifts.

It’s hard to find a great white elephant gift that is out-of-the-ordinary and maybe funny but also not too much money.

And also appropriate. Searches for funny white elephant gift ideas often bring up results that are PG-13 or R-rated.

So I did some searching and put together a list of the best white elephant gifts for $20 or less that are fun and will be a hit at any gift exchange!

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Office fun

How fun is this desktop wacky waving inflatable guy?

If you’re stuck at the office, you might as well have some fun on your break or if you’re on a long call. Enter desktop mini games like this desktop tetherball or desktop basketball game.

It’s a little gross, but this nose pencil sharpener works, could come in handy and is sure to make everyone at the gift exchange giggle. This pencil sharpener is one of the best gag gifts you’ll find!

Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but I don’t feel like you can ever really have enough notepads. I love the fun of this adulting notepad that also allows you to mark off important adult things you’ve done for the day like taking a vitamin or wearing pants.

And sometimes you just need a sticker for doing serious adult living. This is one of the best gifts that everyone will appreciate!

If you’re going to have to cut things, you might as well do so with toucan scissors! This also works well for a secret Santa gift.

This adorable little Groot flower pot works for a plant, as a pencil holder or whatever else. It’s so stinking cute that it would be in demand at your next white elephant exchange!

Funny books

I am a sucker for a good punny joke, which means this book of dad jokes would be something I’d legitimately find amusing — and I’m guessing I’m not alone. It’d be a perfect white elephant gift!

This book of useless information is one of those funny gifts that would be interesting plus be sure to spark some conversation!

Having a worst case scenario handbook sounds like a joke, but it could actually be a practical gift. You never know!

Sometimes you just have to have a good insult in Shakespearean style and this book provides a great way to do so!

Fun socks

Novelty socks are always good for some laughs to any white elephant party.

I’ve seen socks that say “If you can read this, bring me…” But, I’ve not seen a pair that ended with “tacos” until now! There are other options, too, like coffee ($5.99), doughnuts (7.99) and bacon ($7.99).

You can’t beat these socks that look like you’re wearing sandals with socks! We all know someone for whom this would be the perfect gift.

Golden Girls socks?! I’m not sure these are white elephant because they are just pretty stinking awesome! Beyond being a good white elephant gift, these socks may just be the perfect present for someone on your shopping list!

A tad bit pricier at $19.99, these set of sushi socks are the perfect quirky gift.

Fun home products

This bed-shaped sponge holder makes me grin every time I see it. It’s a silly, fun and useful gift!

For a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, consider this cereal killer spoon. It’s a fun way to add some humor to your mornings.

Fun ice cube trays can also be some of the best white elephant gift ideas. These two options were my favorites: dogs and the United States.

Dishwasher magnets that tell you whether your dishes are clean or dirty can be a great gift like this one featuring Star Wars.

Or check out this cute open and closed dishwasher sign magnet as a great addition for your party.

I like tabletop vacuum. We have a plain one that we use all the time. But this cow tabletop vacuum cracks me up and this definitely falls into the fun white elephant gifts category.

Cactus-shaped tea light candles are pretty interesting and come in different styles to pick from. It’s an adorable gift set!

Staying with the cactus theme, check out these fun cactus shaped dryer balls. The best part is this is something anyone can use, because we all do laundry!

Funny mugs

Yep. A coffee mug is technically a home product. But with so many different funny ones they needed their own category! Here are all of my favorites:

Misc. fun stuff

And then there were a few other finds that I had to include for white elephant gift ideas like this bacon flavored lip balm. I’m quite intrigued!

My son would totally love if I came home from a white elephant gift exchange with this Ninjabread cookie mix.

This basket head game could be the next family game or opened and played at your white elephant gift exchange party.

Even non-artistic folks (like me!) can handle paint by numbers, right? This adorable Bob Ross paint by number kit comes with everything needed to make tiny masterpieces.

Looking for more Christmas ideas? Check out these posts!

How operating as a family team can improve your home life

Early on in our marriage, my husband and I developed an attitude of teamwork. It was us against the world, so to speak. Once we had children, we wanted to create an atmosphere of family teamwork. Having our family working together remains one of our top priorities. We haven’t always been perfect at it, but building the mentality of a family team improves our home life and help us build strong relationships. We use some simple strategies to make that happen.

Why family teamwork matters

One of the biggest aspects of family teamwork is thinking about other people. In this case, it’s thinking about your family members and what they need. As the old saying goes, “There’s no ‘I’ in teamwork.” And I can’t think of a better way to build good relationships within your family than thinking about what each other needs. I’ve seen my children care for and look out for each other (and their dad and me) at different times that I know is a result of our family routine of teamwork.

Another benefit of family teamwork is that you can more easily celebrate victories together. It helps eliminate competition among siblings. We have often told our children that what’s good news for one of us is good for all of us. We’re not competing to see who is the best or who can get the most. We are celebrating the victories along the way and understanding that those victories look different for each of us. Our family has a common goal to succeed and support one another.
Basically, family teamwork encompasses the attitudes I want most for my family. I want us to be a safe spot for each other. I want our family to look out for and support one another while maintaining a good relationship. And I want to make sure each of us know we are part of something bigger. We are all an integral part to our family and the team doesn’t run as well if a member is down.

What family teamwork looks like

Throughout the years, we’ve seen the family teamwork mentality at work in our family in a variety of ways.

• When our children get a sweet treat without the other one around, they ask for a treat to share with the other so nobody is left out.
• Our kids have worked together to organize their bedrooms and shared spaces. (I mean, two weeks ago, I found them voluntarily working together to sort through and organize their bookcases together!)
• The entire family worked together this summer to redo both of the kids’ bedrooms. We all painted part of my daughter’s bed together, and we all spent an entire weekend sorting through and organizing toys in my son’s room.
• When my daughter is up before me, she makes breakfast for her little brother (and sometimes for me!). 
• Our children have teamed up together to plan fun activities like a family yes day.
• We have family laundry folding “parties” and work together to get laundry folded and put away.

Ideas for building family teamwork

You don’t just wake up one day and declare that everyone is a team and that’s the end of it. We’ve been working on it for about a decade now, and we are still finding ways to make improvements. Nobody is perfect by any means. But, there are some things you can do to help encourage teamwork within your family.

1. Work on projects together.

Not much builds teamwork better than working on a project together. Getting the entire family involved in projects around the house helps everyone learn how to work together and builds the family teamwork mentality. Our kids haven’t always been excited about projects we have had them work on with us. We have definitely had discussions about attitude adjustments. We remind the kiddos that we are working together for something to help or benefit our entire family. And we do our best to make sure we also have good attitudes while being clear that bad attitudes won’t be tolerated. 

What has ended up happening is that even when the kids grouse about working on a project they don’t want to, they get on board with it. In the end, when we finish the project together, they feel just as good about it as we do. 

Another bonus of working on projects together is teaching the kiddos life skills. The kids have helped my husband change the brakes on the car, helped me prepare food, helped clean rooms, helped organize closets and more. Some skills are bigger than others. I wouldn’t trust my 8- and 11-year-old children to change the brakes on the car by themselves, but I love that they have an understanding of how car brakes work and the benefits of being able to do that work ourselves. 

Other things, like helping me prepare food, have already paid off as my oldest has really taken a shine to cooking and made dinner for our family as well as multiple other dishes completely on her own. She’s learned the satisfaction of making food for people she loves.

2. Talk about being a team.

While actions speak louder than words in general, words are still important to reinforce the family teamwork mentality. One of our family rules is that we don’t make fun or talk negatively about each other. The best way we’ve found to communicate about teamwork is in small ways in the moment rather than sitting down for a long lecture. Because, let’s face it, long lectures aren’t a great way to get through to kids (or adults!).

Instead, we compliment the kids when we see them working together to help each other or one of us. We will literally say things like, “I love how you guys worked together on that.” When one of our kiddos struggles with feeling jealous of something the other one is doing (one child struggles with this more than the other), we instead help them focus on being happy for their sibling. Because, as we remind them, what’s good for one of us is good for all of us. We can celebrate something good happening to someone in our family knowing there will be times the family will be celebrating with us.

It might sound a bit cheesy, but we also will sometimes give high fives and say, “Go, Team Shannon!” None of us are super into sports, but we are super into being together and working well together. Even cheesy statements help us remember that we really are all a team working together.

3. Keep competition fun.

Competition in families should happen only in games and nothing else. Any other competition is not going to build a family teamwork mentality and will most likely cause it to crumble to the ground. In a good team, everyone is working together for the common good. Nobody is working to look better than their own teammates. Comparing the abilities of our children to each other is not going to help build a team mentality. Instead, it will end up dividing our children rather than bring them together.

And beware of ways your children might perceive that you’re comparing them, even if you aren’t. For example, I grew up as the youngest of two kids. Sometimes I felt like I had to live up to something my older brother did and that my parents were comparing us. Looking back now, they weren’t comparing us. I just felt that way. So I try to be intentional about reminding my kids that they are both doing a great job and they both have different strengths and skills. All we want them to do is their best. Will that look different for them? Absolutely, because they are different people!

4. Play cooperative games.

I’m not necessarily thinking of team-building exercises like trust falls, but I’m thinking more of games in general that you can play together as a family without competition. We even play some competitive games, like charades, without keeping score. Listen, I’m a competitive person. I want to win when I play games. But I have found I most love playing cooperative games with my family that we work together to win.

One of my recent good memories with my family was playing a game of Monopoly together on the Xbox. My husband ran the controller and our family played collectively as one game piece. We each had input on strategies and what we should do as we competed against computer players. When we pulled out a victory after thinking we were going to get beaten, all four of us celebrated together. 

Another great team building game we’ve played recently is story telling together using the alphabet. One person starts a story by saying a couple of sentences with a word that starts with letter “A.” The next person starts with a “B” and adds a couple of more sentences. The story builds itself through to the end of the alphabet. Nothing is competitive about the game and it just results in lots of laughs as you work together to tell a story. Ours have taken all sorts of twists and turns I didn’t see coming!

5. Be an all-inclusive team coach.

If we go with a sports analogy for family teamwork, the parents are the coaches and the children are the players. That’s how it ought to be. But that doesn’t mean the team members never get a say in what the team is doing. Though my husband and I get the final say on family decisions, we get our children’s opinions in some matters as we are making plans.

For example, this year we were trying to decide what to do for vacation. My husband and I came up with four destinations and presented all four to our children. As a family we discussed what we liked about each option. Then we talked, voted and came up with our final selection together. When the kids were younger, we didn’t do this, because they were too young to have a say or really care. But as they are getting older, they love being able to have a say in decisions. 

Any time you can involve your kids in decision making for your family, go for it. While it does help them build important skills about decision making, it also helps them feel more connected and part of the team. My husband and I definitely make many decisions without their input, because we are the adults and have the experience and wisdom to make good choices. But in other areas, we love to let them be involved. In the vacation example, the kids also learned how much work goes into planning a vacation and finding things for us to do that are fun. Since they got to be involved in the planning, they were even more excited for the trip and we were able to better choose the things they wanted to do.

Check out these other great articles about family life:

10 Ways to have a family life filled with grace, love and faith

Grace-filled sibling relationships

How to have a family yes day (and why you should!)

You’ll relate to these short motherhood quotes that are both inspirational and funny!

Once I became a mom, I suddenly understood all the unsolicited motherhood advice other moms dole out. You just have all this information inside of you that you want to share with a woman about to have her first baby. You want to chat about it with other moms to make sure you aren’t the only one with these feelings or struggles.

I’ve compiled a long list of short motherhood quotes. The first 35 I wrote when my kids were 3-1/2 years and 5 months old. You’ll find relatable motherhood quotes that are sentimental, humorous or both! Keeping a sense of humor in motherhood is vital for survival.

(And thanks to a couple of readers who gave me some motherhood quotes to share as well!)

Short motherhood quotes from the early years

Motherhood quote #1 

You’ll have many moments when your husband, your children and your dog all need something from you at the exact same time. This is usually when you’re doing a frivolous activity like making dinner or washing laundry or going to the bathroom.

Motherhood quote #2 

Speaking of going to the bathroom, you’ll wonder if you will ever have privacy again.

Motherhood quote #3

Knowing that one day you will miss having an entourage follow you throughout the house and adoring fans crying for you from another room doesn’t make it any easier to deal with right now.

Motherhood quote #4 

You will have moments when you’ll wonder why on earth you ever taught your preschooler to talk since she never stops talking. Ever. Ever, ever. 

Motherhood quote #5 

You will be amazed at how many tasks you can accomplish and have no memory of when you’re sleep deprived.

Motherhood quote #6

You will sometimes tear up because you have so much love for your little people that your heart overflows and can’t contain it. This even happens at 2 a.m. when you’ve been up since 7 a.m. the previous day.

Motherhood quote #7

You will always feel guilty about something. You will beat yourself up over every single thing you do and every single thing you don’t do. Mommy guilt is ever-present and sometimes all-consuming. Watch out for it!

Motherhood quote #8

You will find yourself saying things you never dreamed you would like: “Your Crocs are in my bedroom with corn in them.” Or, “If you fall and hurt yourself, I’m not going to help you.”

Motherhood quote #9

You will have more fun playing with your kids than you did playing when you were a child.

Motherhood quote #10

You will be glad to have given birth and yet somehow miss being pregnant at the same time — even when you had a miserable pregnancy.

Motherhood quote #11

Just like mommy guilt, mommy worries are also always present, especially with the first baby. You’ll worry if she’s sleeping too much. You’ll worry she’s not sleeping enough. It won’t make any sense, but it will happen.

Motherhood quote #12

You will channel your mom. Enough said.

Motherhood quote #13 

You will lose yourself for a while after the baby is born, but you’ll come back. Slowly, over time, you become more you again, yet different in a way you’re OK with.

Motherhood quote #14

You’ll have the super power of being able to touch hot plates without grimacing. I don’t know how this ties into motherhood, but it’s true. My hands can stand much more heat now than ever before. Maybe I’m just too tired to care about getting burnt.

Motherhood quote #15

You won’t remember a darn thing. Mommy brain is real. I keep multiple lists and set multiple calendar items and reminders on my phone to pretend like I’m organized. You won’t remember a darn thing. (Did I already say that? I don’t remember!)

Motherhood quote #16

You will need an extra half hour to get out of the house — at least. Because there is always a diaper that needs to be changed as soon as everyone is ready or a sippy cup that needs to be filled or a doll that needs to be found.

Motherhood quote #17

You will sing children’s songs in your head all the time whether it’s in the middle of the night when you’re up for the bathroom or to feed the baby or whether you’re on a date with your husband (and if your husband is like mine, he’ll sing right along with you!).

Motherhood quote #18

Speaking of husbands, you’ll be overwhelmed at how much more you can love him when you see him holding your baby. And you’ll also be overwhelmed at how irritated you can get at him, but remember hormones and sleep deprivation make even the best husband seem annoying. 

This applies to all relatives and even random strangers, too.

Motherhood quote #19

You have an inner mama bear that will come out when riled. I have stood up to folks I never speak up to when my child’s happiness was at stake. I would take on anyone who tried to mess with either of my babies and I mean anyone!

Motherhood quote #20

You won’t be grossed out very easily. In fact, you’ll do gross things and not even give them a second thought. Leaving the house with spit-up on your shirt is the least of them. 

When my son was a newborn, I literally caught a bowel movement in my hand as he started to go while I was changing him. My reasoning was that it was much easier to clean my hands off than have to clean it off the changing table pad. 

Only later did I even think, “Hey, that was probably gross.”

Motherhood quote #21

You’re on a long journey. You’ll have good days and bad. And sometimes they happen all in the same day. Don’t get bogged down by the bad moments. Know that it really is worth it and whatever phase you’re in really does end.

Motherhood quote #22

Life really won’t ever be the same again. Having a child changes you forever. Life is no longer about you but all about the little people you gave birth to. It’s OK to mourn the loss of life as you knew it. 

Just don’t get stuck there and miss enjoying the life you have now — or at least the really good parts of it!

Motherhood quote #23

You must have a sense of humor. Keep a sense of humor about the trials and challenges of motherhood, pregnancy and childbirth. Own it. Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes you will cry. But, sometimes you can laugh instead.

Motherhood quote #24

Keeping a sense of humor is also important because there is never enough energy or time for a good cry.

Motherhood quote #25

You will develop a keen radar and be able to find your child’s favorite toy in a pile of a million toys strewn all around your house. At all times I know where my daughter’s favorite doll is and my son’s favorite ball is. Seriously.

Motherhood quote #26

You will hone ninja-like abilities to move silently out of your baby’s room after a 30-minute battle to get him to sleep.

Motherhood quote #27

You will apologize to your parents for fighting sleep, talking back or simply just being alive after dealing with your children. Just this week I texted my mother to apologize for fighting sleep. She’s told me my son reminds her of me as a baby. I’m so sorry for that for her. I’m even more sorry for that for me sometimes!

Motherhood quote #28

You will wonder how you ever thought you were busy before. I remember before having kids I felt like I was so busy all the time. I laugh at that idea now. Heck, I thought I was so busy with one baby. Now when I have only the baby to deal with, it feels like free time. And he’s a much needier baby than my daughter was.

Motherhood quote #29

If you breastfeed, you’ll be surprised at all the places milk can end up. You’ll be equally surprised at all the places spit-up can end up as well. This is probably true for bottle feeding as well!

Motherhood quote #30

You will be surprised at how much you praise bodily functions. Sometimes that will carry over to others. I have literally said to my husband before, “That was a good burp-y.” Yeah. It happens.

Motherhood quote #31

You will share “looks” with other moms at Target when their child is whining. While before you might have looked on with judgment, now you look on with empathy and, internally, are just plain relieved your child isn’t the offender at the moment.

Motherhood quote #32

You will want to smack anyone who does anything to wake up your baby. You may think I’m exaggerating, but I’ve had to refrain from putting the smackdown on the pizza delivery guy who returned unannounced for us to sign a receipt right after we got the baby to sleep and were about to indulge in pizza and a movie on a date night. 

Or the family friend who insisted on stroking the baby’s arm when she saw us at a restaurant and our food had just arrived and he was happily asleep for once. 

Or the dog who stands outside the baby’s door and barks for no apparent reason. I could go on.

Motherhood quote #33

You will refer to yourself in the third person. Worst of all for someone like me, you will intermix third and first person. For example, “Mommy needs to take a shower. When I get out, we’ll make sure you didn’t burn down the house.” OK, I haven’t actually said that, but you get my point.

Motherhood quote #34

You will feel as if you should get awards for various things that no one would ever think of giving awards for. Like an award for showering, bathing the children, making dinner, doing laundry, paying bills or refraining from telling your child to shut up. Small tasks become so very monumental.

Motherhood quote #35

You will survive. Well, I’m pretty sure you will.  So far I have survived and it’s been just over 3 and 1/2 years. I also know plenty of moms who have grown children, so I like to think that survival of motherhood is possible. 

Truths from the school-aged years of motherhood

Motherhood quote #36

(From Kayla, a mom of four) Your kids will always ask you for what they need, even if your husband is closer to them. They’ll even call and ask you a question if you’re at work and their dad is home with them.

Motherhood quote #37

(From Kayla, a mom of four) You are the only one who can see dishes in the sink, laundry that needs to be folded and a house that needs cleaned.

Motherhood quote #38

(From Melissa, a mom of three) Parenting is harder than anyone can ever explain. (It never gets easier.) Just like no one can ever explain how much you will love your child.

Motherhood quote #39

(From Kayla, a mom of four) Motherhood is the hardest and most rewarding job ever!

Motherhood quote #40

(From Kayla, a mom of four) You’ve got to have downtime and evening snuggles while watching Disney is the way to go!

Motherhood quote #41

You will have parent homework, meaning projects and such that rely on you to organize and manage them. While you may think you have passed kindergarten or second grade before, you will find yourself helping with the work yet again.

Don’t fight it and gripe about it — or you’ll just make yourself miserable. (I speak from experience here…)

Motherhood quote #42

You don’t have to be friends with the parents of your children’s friends. Being friendly with them and knowing them is a good plan, especially if you are going to let your kids go to their houses. But just because your kiddos are BFFs doesn’t mean that you will be, too!

Motherhood quote #43

Some truths about your children remain the same from the time they are little until they get older. My son — the challenging sleeper as a baby — still has trouble sleeping. My daughter — the chatty preschooler — is now a chatty 4th grader.

Motherhood quote #44

Even if you’re the first one up each morning, chances are really good you’ll be the last one to get ready since you help everyone else along the way.

Motherhood quote #45

Watching your children perform anything anywhere will make your heart burst with pride, even if they aren’t exceptionally great at what they’re doing. It doesn’t matter. They are up there and you’ll realize afterward that your jaws can get sore from smiling too much.

Motherhood quote #46

Even when your kiddos seem so big compared to the babies and toddlers they were, they still revert to those same sweet faces and want you when they aren’t feeling well. The only difference is now you soak it up all that much more because those moments are more fleeting than they once were.

Motherhood quote #47

Your son may have just turned 7, but you still have a bit of PTSD from his early days as a reflux baby who did very little sleeping at night. You will do your best not to hold this against him.

Motherhood quote #48

Traveling with your kids gets easier as they get older. You no longer have to lug half your household along and they are much more flexible.

Motherhood quote #49

If you kids are going to get a stomach bug, at least 90% of the time it doesn’t start until after bedtime and often after midnight.

Motherhood quote #50

You’ll plan what outfits your kids will wear for big events (or family photos) and then scramble around at the last minute deciding what you’re going to wear.

Motherhood quote #51

Watching your children play together is an awesome feeling. Seeing them treat each other with love and kindness is the best feeling!

Motherhood quote #52

Growth spurts will strike at unexpected times — like right after you just finished buying them clothes for the season or one month before the season ends. (I just had to start buying more winter clothes for my son because he got taller, even though warm weather is on its way!)

Motherhood quote #53

Once you stock up on a food your kids have been in love with for weeks, they’ll decide they don’t like it so much. OK, not every time, but many times!

Motherhood quote #54

You’ll get a better understanding of God’s love and greatness. I marvel at how much I love my children and can’t fathom how it’s possible He loves them even more.

Motherhood quote #55

Even being their mom first, you’ll have times you get to be their friend and it’s just plain fun. I love getting a chance to just hang out with my kids, especially one-on-one, and taking off my mom hat to just be with them doing something fun together.

Motherhood quote #56

You’ll wonder how shoes and socks can disappear so easily, even with set spots for them to go. You’ll begin to wonder if elves appear overnight and move things around!

Motherhood quote #57

You’ll have to work past grudges against other kids who didn’t treat your own very well even when they work through the issue and become good friends.

Motherhood quote #58

Great memories are often made in the small moments. Earlier this week, we spent a few days at an indoor water park on the kids’ spring break. They had so much fun, but I think the memory I’ll most hang onto is lying in bed with them, eating mini muffins and watching “The Golden Girls” (their pick!) on our last morning in the hotel.

Motherhood quote #59

You’ll learn so many lessons from your children. I have been astounded at the spiritual insights my kids have. I have been humbled and blessed in hearing them pray for me, our family and big issues in the world.

Motherhood quote #60

Being a mom is the most exhausting and draining job on the planet. But it’s also the best job you can ever imagine. The rewards far surpass the challenges.

Find more posts about motherhood:

Motherhood and messes

The push and pull of motherhood

Motherhood requires a sense of humor

The tediousness of motherhood

Finding myself again after having a baby

Christian encouragement for single moms

The “Moms with Grace” series takes a look at modern Christian moms and how they handle daily life with raising children. You’ll find monthly posts from married and single moms with older kids, younger kids and all those in between. Let real-life moms encourage and uplift you!

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support my blog. Thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

A couple of months ago, I first connected with Dr. Real N. Kunene in a social media group for Christian mompreneurs. I was honored to participate as a speaker in her recent summit on successful parenting. As we connected, I knew Dr. Kunene would be a perfect fit for the Moms with Grace series.

Dr. Kunene’s background

Dr. Kunene is a single mom (since 2016) of two kiddos who are 8 and 10. She’s also an international human rights policy analyst and a diplomacy and protocol specialist who consults on policies and procedures related to protocol, diplomacy and human rights compliance.

This passionate leader holds a Ph.D. with a discipline in leadership and business. She is also a highly sought after, energetic, certified Les Brown international speaker. Dr. Kunene empowers motivated professionals and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to rise to greater heights as they start, grow and scale their business. Her vision is to motivate and empower audiences with a fresh perspective while inspiring them to pursue success and drive sustainable outcomes, in a seriously funny way.

Dr. Kunene is an award-winning, international bestselling author with 10 number one books on Amazon. Her bestselling book “Rise to Greater Heights” has inspired and empowered many to pursue their personal and professional passion to become go-getters.

As a trainer, diplomacy protocol officer and strategist, Dr. Kunene believes we are in full control of our choices. Her mission is to meet the needs and transform lives of her clients and her audience. This change-maker, trailblazer and revolutionary is pushing boundaries and creating a real change worldwide. Like a phoenix that never accepted defeat and rose from its own ashes, she wants to challenge you to unleash your greatness and rise to greater heights.

Dr. Kunene is inspired by Hebrews 11, Psalms 27 and Psalms 40 to stay motivated and continue pursuing her dreams. She took time out of her busy schedule to share profound words of wisdom for single moms, especially. But no matter your marital status or phase of parenthood, I know you’ll be blessed and encouraged to rise to greater heights!

How have you changed from the beginning of your mom journey until now?

Motherhood has been such an adventurous journey. I so wish I could still sleep in on weekends and wake up at 11a.m.! From the beginning of my mom journey until now I’ve learnt how to let go of things by establishing limits and boundaries between family and work.

We must create boundaries of protection between our work and family, which will give us space for other thoughts and ideas to emerge. Trying to be everything to everyone only ensures failure; but, cutting ties with the outside world occasionally allows us to recover from weekly stress. Boundaries hold the line to protect your work from the distraction of family. Taking time to unwind is critical to success and will help you feel more energized when you’re on the clock.

Cut out the things in your life that are stressing you out. Then also protect your family involvement from the obligations at work. With clear boundaries, we often find the weight lifted was heavier than we realized. We are also able to have clearer discernment in both our work and personal lives.

How do you find balance day to day?

Daily I remain open to redirect and assess my needs in order to find balance. Sometimes I have to let things go because taking on more work when I’m already stressed out has a negative effect. If we do not make the conscious decision to achieve balance, we will most likely fail along the way because we are not clear on what we expect ourselves to accomplish. We must make an effort to provide ourselves the opportunity for balance, so when we leave the office, we avoid thinking about upcoming projects.

With my struggle to attain the perfect balance between work and family, I’ve learnt that those who do maintain a successful balance often have flexible work schedules. The dilemma of balancing family and work has no easy solution. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Employers must make it a priority to grant employees access to a wider variety of benefits, because balance is a very personal thing, and only you can decide the lifestyle that suits you best.

Work-life balance will mean different things to different people because, after all, every person and family must find specific solutions to their issues depending on their own preferences and needs. There is nothing wrong with working hard to gain some of the finer things in life, because we all have different life commitments that fit our individual needs and improve our health and well-being.

What are some challenges you’ve faced as a mother? How have you worked to overcome them?

After my divorce in 2016, I found myself inundated by financial demands and my added responsibility posed an even steeper challenge. The main struggle I had was juggling a lot and working long hours trying to find the time and the energy to do all that I needed to do. For me, I used to worry about money constantly, asking myself how anyone can start a business when broke.

The concept of hustling is not a new one. So all the single mothers who are holding down the fort and raising a family by themselves, can start and sustain multi-million dollar organizations given the opportunity.

Raising kids alone is exhausting, as I juggle work while trying to spend as much time with my kids as possible. Lack of support was a reality for me and seeking a balance between finding a babysitter or doing something myself has become an intrinsic part of my life.

The quest for the perfect work-life balance is what hindered me from starting my business. I was terrified. The first few weeks I became a single mom, I felt like I was pulled in a trillion different directions. Trying to do everything on my own left my spirit totally depleted and my nerves on edge. My children and I were having daily meltdowns, and I realized that being a single parent can make the most patient person lose their entire jar of marbles!

Becoming a single mom wasn’t an easy journey, but I had to learn to guide and shepherd my children’s hearts. I know we all make mistakes. I couldn’t survive without the supernatural peace and strength of Jesus. It’s important for me to every day entrust my children’s care to the Lord. And I know I can trust in God to keep His promises and encourage me when I am feeling low.

What business lessons have you learned as a single mom?

When people heard I was a single mom, they thought I could not be successful. These toxic influences are people who tell you that business is hard and you can’t build anything worthwhile. Toxic influences are those people who always remind you that you are a single mom. They assume because you’re a single parent, you must be struggling. I couldn’t change the fact that I was a single mom. However, I could get of all toxic influences out of my life — those people who thought the only thing I should do was take care of my kids without telling me how.

For this reason, I am on a quest to break the stereotype of a single parent and all the negative connotations associated with it, instead of spending time with toxic people who invade my confidence and bring me down.

I showcase to the world that I can be a single mom and still have it all by setting goals for my business and for my life. I was convinced that there are numerous single moms with great experiences, so I decided to wear the hustler hat and created work that is profitable but not visible. The truth is, yes, you can be a single parent and make millions whilst raising your little ones. One essential tool for success in business is confidence and people can smell a lack of it on you.

It wasn’t always easy, but I started strong and self funded by being a certified hustler, and I operated on a budget.

In what ways you have and do you share your faith with your children?

While raising children alone can be a struggle at times, I hold on to God’s Word, which gives me the strength I need to keep going. Being a single mom is not a handicap. Instead of fighting my circumstances, I had to learn to accept it. The Lord is a helper to give wisdom and insight on ministering to our children. He’s available all the time to hear our prayers and act on our behalf.

My children know that prayer is our weapon of warfare. We put God first in everything. They’ve learnt to give and expect nothing in return as we feed the homeless on a quarterly basis. The Lord had always met all of our needs. I learned to find joy through Christ in the midst of a difficult situation.

The Lord embraces the single mother with His incredible love. Through the Holy Spirit, I hear words of truth from the Bible to help me keep pushing ahead. My heavenly Father is lovingly keeping an eye on my children to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. Thus, my strength in the present is the investment in my children that will reap a beautiful return in the future.  

What are some of your favorite parts of motherhood?

As a single mom entrepreneur, I encouraged myself not to be marginalized by society and looked down on. Very rarely do we see positive images of single parents who are self-sufficient, successful contributors to society. In fact, being a single mom comes with an inbuilt capacity for business success. Because being a single mother is not an easy task, you discover inner strengths and capabilities you never knew you had.

Life is all about learning. Being a single parent is twice the work, which makes you stronger than ever before. Don’t get me wrong, I know raising a child on your own can be difficult. However, don’t let the perception of this lifestyle count you out before you even count yourself in.

Overall, being a single parent comes with a wealth of skills that do well in entrepreneurship, and success means being the best parent your kids can have and living your dreams while at it. Through my determination and preservation, I took all my pains and the difficult times to learn and grow stronger. In my kids’ eyes, I turned into a superhero. Being a single parent is not a setback. You have to own your single parent status, find what you love and do it.

What advice do you have for a single mom who wants to start her own business?

Normally, being an entrepreneur is a daunting task, but many men and women are incredibly successful while still looking after their own children by themselves. They’ve learned that when you have an unusual goal, you need an unusual way of thinking. That way of thinking takes you outside your comfort zone, especially when you are broke.

Use the wisdom of other people to help you. Make note of all the things that frustrate you in your daily life, then research creative ways to address those inefficiencies.

Also, look for inspiration everywhere: business coaches, people in networking groups or whoever has knowledge you might need. All it takes is an idea to create a product that changes the world.  

How does grace play a role in your daily life? Do you have any tips or advice for how moms can show more grace to their families?

Life is not about always being spic and span and perfect. I appreciate myself and give myself credit for the way I am bringing up your children. I am happy and content in life. The imperfections of life give life character and show your children your love. They can see what efforts you are putting in for them. Take time to realize how amazing your children have turned out to be and give yourself a pat on the back.

Of course you will have your highs and lows. Just take a look at the way you have brought up your children and remember your children have you and you are more than enough.

Our words have so much power over how our children see themselves, so I lean into the Word and apply it to my everyday life to guide me. Without a doubt raising kids on your own requires an unbelievable amount of strength and courage. But, that single parents can function just as fine or even better than whole families is an accomplishment of itself.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:12-13

What are you most proud of as a mom?

I’m raising God fearing children.

How have you grown from your failures?

At the end of the day, failure should not be our undertaker. Instead failure is an opportunity to begin again, as long as you learn from it. Single mom, you must know what you want from life because you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. Remember that your dreams are valid and all you need to do is fight for them. Beware that the way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. Focus instead the actions needed to be taken and fail fast so you learn what not to do.

And the sooner you realize that failure is a temporary detour, you’ll keep on trying and build the right attitude. Blaming others of not reaching your goals in life can paralyze you and make your dreams become impossible. Please handle failure with dignity because you will not succeed in life without first failing.

Connect with other Christian moms for support and encouragement in the private Facebook group, Moms with Grace!

Read more in the series:

Rachael Belle

Linda Mendible

Mandy Farmer