This is for real! Hands down the most rewarding gifts for mom will be revealed in this post!

Hey there! Today I’m sharing a guest post written by my daughter Britney. Britney is the wonderful mom of my two adorable grandchildren. She is also a writer. You can read more about her on her website HERE. Her and I talk about motherhood often and she wanted me to make her some printables for this post and we decided to share it here. This is where we got to the most rewarding gifts for mom. So here you go, read on! 🙂

A few months back, my friend mentioned the idea of Mommy Paydays and I’ve been thinking about them constantly since (thanks, Rachel!). As moms, we’re nurses, teachers, chefs, chauffeurs, therapists, personal shoppers, secretaries, maids, personal assistants, accountants, stylists, and more.

Most of us have little to no training in any of these areas. We’re simply thrust into the job, trying to do the best we can to teach and love and nurture these little ones that instantly become our world.

Our salary is $0 and the job requires just about every second of every day, no vacations (because let’s face it, even if we take a kid-less vacation, we spend it feeling guilty or worrying about our kids). It’s a mostly thankless title and we get paid nothing.

Or do we?

This is where the idea of Mommy Paydays comes in.

There will be hard times and frustrating times, but amid the challenges there are SHINING moments of joy and satisfaction.

Picture this: you’re at the park, chatting with your mom friends while the kids chase each through the sand. A young girl arrives and sees all the other kids having a good time, but not knowing anyone, she goes over to the swings alone. You can tell she feels lonely, but before you can do anything about it, you see your daughter leave her friends and join the new girl. It doesn’t take long before both girls are smiling and running around with the group.

This is a Mommy Payday—a moment when you get to see your hard work pay off. And these are hands down the most rewarding gifts for mom!

What about that time you got some really tough news that instantly brought you to tears, and without knowing what was going on, your son wrapped his arms around you and held you while you cried? Mommy Payday.

Or the day your toddler cleaned up his toys without being asked for the first time? Mommy Payday.

What about the moment your Kindergartener tied her shoes by herself? Her smile proved she felt like she could conquer the world. Mommy Payday.

And, being a mom of little children, I can only imagine what the Mommy Paydays of the future will feel like. Watching my children graduate, get married, have children, accomplish dreams.

The joy of Motherhood comes in MOMENTS.

These moments may be few and far between, but they are worth much more than any amount of money. They are the most rewarding gifts for mom. It’s what being a mom is all about.

So when it feels like you do the same tasks every day on repeat, when you wonder why you chose to do this really hard thing (and then chose it again and again with each new kid), when you’re lacking sleep and freedom and can’t help but think that this isn’t worth it, wait patiently. The rewards will come.

Keep teaching. Read that book for what seems like the thousandth time. Change another diaper. Endure another tantrum. Give kisses and hugs freely. Talk to your kids and listen—really listen.

And when you get a Mommy Payday? Hold it close and don’t forget it. If you stack up these moments, it won’t talk long for you to realize that mothering is the highest paying job there is.

I asked my talented mom to create a printable to help you recognize, remember, and store your Mommy Paydays. You can print one up every time you experience a payment, or print a bunch ahead of time and stick them in a binder to fill in each week. You can even display one on your fridge or next to your computer, so you’ll never forget to watch for your paydays.