Ever wondered how you’re going to survive being a parent? Laura Seibert writes about her first babysitting experiences as a twelve-year-old in her book Parenting Without Regret and confesses her fear of motherhood, even after the birth of her first child. Yet after meeting with God and hearing Him speak about this great mission and privilege, Laura shares about how her perspective began to shift as she embraced her role as a parent and mother.

In a recent Inspired to Action podcast, Kat Lee encourages listeners who may identify with the feeling of fear in regards to motherhood and affirms Laura’s experience and legacy as a mother. “There are few people I could recommend with more integrity, just having watched Laura’s life (and) having seen her children grow up.” Now almost on the other side of motherhood, Laura has “this wonderful legacy in (her) kids.”

Many moms or young singles may be hesitant to admit their hesitancy toward motherhood, yet Kat explains that she “really appreciated (Laura’s) vulnerability because it’s not something we hear all that often.” It’s freeing to hear someone talk honestly about the struggle to “change your identify and really understand God’s heart for being a mom.” Laura shares about both in the book, Parenting Without Regret.

In the book and during the podcast Laura explains how she grabbed hold of her own vision for her new role as a mom. Laura confesses being inspired by successful women in careers and other stages of life, yet as she began to dialog with God about this, she sensed Him affirming her role as mother - the only mother her kids would and could ever have. “Other people can ‘mom’ your kids, but you are their mom… and nobody else can be that. That was revelation to me.”

Kat affirms this idea in the Inspired to Action podcast after hearing from Laura. She says “It’s a common thing to be a mom, but there is a richness and depth to it that I don’t think everyone gets to experience.” If moms will truly learn to lean into God during this time of redefining identity and rhythms, gain vision for their new role and allow God to speak promises of hope over their children, it will set their children up for the long haul.

In addition to gaining personal vision and revelation, Laura also shares about gaining this vision for the sake of her kids. “Kids are so discerning. They know when you don’t like being somewhere… they feel it.” After the birth of her first child, Laura determined to change the way she shared with others - especially her kids - about her job or role as a mother. She recalls changing her tone of voice and placing emphasis on the word ‘mom’, rather than replying she was “just a mom” when asked what she did for a living.

In the book, Laura shares how, in the moment, it’s rare to find glimpses of the kind of fruit your investment in your children will bear, yet the role of mother is irreplaceable. Kat ends the podcast encouraging listeners to grab hold of this truth. “As a mom… we will never be unimportant in our kids lives.” Furthermore, in any other job or sphere, our role could easily be replaced, but no one else has the privilege of being a mom to your kids, no matter how good of a parent you think you are.

Read Laura and her husband Jimmy’s book 'Parenting Without Regret' to hear more stories, practical advice, and Christian insight into the seemingly daunting task of parenthood. If you missed the Inspired to Action podcast, you can listen to it here and purchase the book on our website or through Amazon.

To read more about Jimmy and Laura's parenting experiences, visit our bookstore or Amazon to purchase Parenting Without Regret.