It’s a long running list of tasks that we mothers face — teacher, counselor, confessor, dietician, rights activist, chauffeur, doctor, playmate, creative arts director, mechanic, event planner, disciplinarian and the only true comfort for life’s many boo-boos.

And the fact that there is no primer and no degree course to teach and prepare women for the many facets of motherhood is something that I believe needs to be addressed.
We need a motherhood manual.

The handy booklet could be a compilation of how-to’s and survival tactics from women who have endured motherhood and lived to tell the tale.

The list of advisers could be divided into two sections, the first to include famous mothers like Barbara Bush, Sandra Day O’Connor, Jane Goodall and Madonna. Their essays could be catalogued for quick reference, to deal with those high stress moments of mothering doubt and despair. Inspirational motherhood quotes could lead off each famous mom’s section, with their favored recipes included.
Section two, would be a much more personal look at the world of motherhood. In fact, this part of the guidebook would consist solely of blank pages. The owner of the manual would complete this section by asking women in her life to share their mothering wisdoms and images.

Imagine the collection of stories, advisements and pictures that could be collected from grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, neighbors and friends. The tried and true remedies, the heartfelt stories, the one-of-a-kind personal images, neatly compiled for mothering support whenever needed.

The added beauty of this personalized guidebook is that it would serve as an actual reflection of the women who have formed the manual owner’s life. So not only would there be advice on mothering do’s and don’ts, but information on how these precepts were formed through the generations.

The manual could close out with a chapter of humorously disastrous mothering moments, collected from women around the world. Considering all that is required of moms, there is no possible way to perfectly perform the role.

To alleviate the traditional mother’s guilt, funny stories of motherhood trials and tribulations would clearly illustrate the life lesson that mistakes are part of the process, rather than irreversible tragedies.
No doubt, motherhood is a daunting task of lifelong responsibilities that pretty much ensure failure at some point, if not multiple times.

And, realistically, there is probably no manual comprehensive enough to help guide women through the exquisite joys and agonies of allowing a part of her being to separate into a new life.

So perhaps, in the end, the best solution is not the creation of a mother’s training manual. Perhaps it is the need for all of us to be mindful that motherhood provides challenges like none other in life. Further, that moms are generally armed for this multi-tasking role with not much more than their innate sense of wisdom — and a loving heart and passionate soul forever connected to their children.

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