We moms have all sorts of things we feel guilty about but shouldn’t.
We feel guilty because...
- We go to work (we feel like we should be home)
- We stay home (we feel like we should go to work)
- We play with our kids (we should get the chores done)
- We work on the chores (we should be playing with the kids)
- We want some ‘me’ time (we should be spending time with our partner)
- We want to work out and get back in shape (we should be working, playing with the kids, getting the chores done, and spending time with our partners)
(Can you see the circular logic here?)
That’s it! We work at work and work at home (and only write our blog at 11pm the night before it’s due after partner and the kids have all gone to bed.)
Mom guilt is a real problem. If you search “Mom Guilt” in Google, you’ll get 12,700,000 results in .2 seconds. This topic is well versed but they all say the same things.
- Don’t worry.
- You have to have ‘me’ time in order to be a happier, better parent.
That’s way easier said than done. We all have to make choices. We just have to make choices that we’re okay with. Choices that make us feel as though they will teach our children the value of hard work, or the importance of good physical health and good mental health.
What we don’t want to do is work ourselves into exhaustion or worse, depression.
If mom is disengaged and withdrawn, there can be a lack of hugging, snuggling, reading and playing, all of which, if missing, could lead to a delay in cognitive ability and social development.
Children learn what they live. They will more than likely go on to reflect those behaviors. Studies have shown that children of depressed moms have more trouble regulating their own emotions leading to trouble in school.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or weepy, talk to your partner, a friend, a family member, spiritual advisor, or healthcare provider.
Don’t wait. Don’t let ‘Mom Guilt’ work it’s evil trickery on you. Be proud of what you have done. You have brought life into this world! You have sustained that life and it has thrived! The laundry will wait. Your kitchen will eventually get cleaned. Take a few minutes to bask in all that motherly glory that you’ve created. Take pride in the fact that you have a little being in your life that calls you “Mom”! There’s no guilt in that! Say NO to Mom Guilt!
