Social Media & the Modern Mommy

I've often had a love/hate relationship with social media. I mean the name doesn't exactly denote something we should spend an exorbitant amount of time frequenting. But at the same time most people can't seem to live without it. The majority of people have at least one social media account, if not more. As with all things I do think it can be a positive addition to our lives if used in moderation and appropriately.

Let me back up and give y'all a little background of our personal family dynamics. Our family chooses to live a simple life, one that doesn't include many extracurricular activities such as sports and other nonacademic lessons like dance or music. We purpose to save our money to pursue other family activities such as traveling and 'adventuring' through God's creation. Our church only meets once a week. Homeschool co-ops aren't something we choose to participate in either nor do we do many play-dates. (We do visit with friends, it's just usually a family event after church on Sundays.) This lifestyle has meant many days at home with little to no interaction with folks outside of our immediate family.

Now, I'm not complaining; I love our nontraditional lifestyle, but it can be very isolating at times. This is where social media has been a true God-send for me. While my family is my ultimate focus, I do desire love, support, and encouragement from like-minded ladies. I have found social media to fill that niche and then some. I have made some amazing friends and know if we met in person it would be a joyous occasion of kindred spirits reuniting. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to communicate with my online friends (that may be states away) without leaving my home. During my struggles and triumphs they are simply a direct message away from giving me the little bit of encouragement I need to make it through a difficult day or rejoicing in one of my victories.

Women need other women to help navigate this crazy journey we are on as mothers. We need to know we are not alone in our struggles. We need to celebrate our victories with those who can truly appreciate what we are going through. But finding that consistent support can be difficult when our lives revolve around our family's. Social media can help to fill that void so long as we remember some critical guidelines in using social media.

• Treat people the way you want to be treated even when you can't physically see the other person.
• Read everything with 'a grain of salt'. What others share may not be the gospel truth or applicable to you and your family.
• Don't compare yourself to others. Glean from your 'friends', but don't allow them to make you feel inferior.
• Keep it real. Share the highlights of your life, the good and the not so good. Remember others are gleaning from your insights too. People want to know the real you.
• Keep Christ first. God should be in all that we do, even our interactions on social media.

Much of life is about finding balance in all that we do. We need to effectively balance our interaction with others whether that is via social media or in real life. Spending too much time away from our God-given responsibilities through social media or any other outlet is not healthy or pleasing to the Lord. But, we can choose to use all of our resources, including social media, as blessings to help us best fulfill our roles as women, wives, and mothers.

With Love & Hope,
Jennifer