The moment I found out I was going to be a mom was the most magical and terrifying moment I’ve ever had.

After I picked my jaw off the floor and started talking to my pinpoint-sized fetus, I was overcome with panic.

I say “dude” 24 times a day. I wear Pumas and Wonder Woman earrings. I eat popcorn for dinner. My handwriting is horrible. I have a tattoo for God’s sake. I am not fit to be a mom.

So I used my nine months to work on what I figured a mom “should” be.

I would learn to cook. I would buy a blazer. I would chew with my mouth shut.

When my daughter was born, I tried things I thought could morph me into a more formidable caretaker. I bought a nursery rhymes CD so as to not subject my daughter to my music. I barely made it out of the driveway before ejecting it to avoid both of us trying to jump out of the moving vehicle.

Fast forward half a decade. I’ve almost set the kitchen on fire trying to make Rice Krispies treats. I perform air guitar with the windows down while my kids stare at me in horror from the back seat. I have two more tattoos and a nose ring.

I failed miserably trying to create this new identity, quite simply because it just wasn’t me.

I feel this is one of the most valuable lessons you can teach your kids. Don’t hide it or be embarrassed by it. Embrace who you are.

Kids are the most accepting and unconditionally loving people on the planet. I learned that if I can try to be the best person I can be (minus a couple of swear words and plus a few more veggies) that is a start. You owe it to yourself and your kids to be true to who you are.

With that being said, I am proud to report that while back to school shopping with my 7-year-old, her No. 1 request was a pair of Pumas.