MOM GUILT is real. It’s that inescapable feeling that you’re never doing enough as a mother, not doing things correctly, or making life-altering decisions that could ultimately “mess up” your kids’ lives. All people struggle. YOUR CHILDREN ARE PEOPLE. They are going to struggle, and those struggles are not a direct result of bad parenting. While you can often adjust parenting strategies to help your children cope, THERE IS NO PERFECT PARENTING STYLE. Mommas, parenting matters, but you can’t fix it all, and you can’t be perfect enough to protect your children from hardships.
I struggle with mom guilt. Sometimes I feel like I work too much. At times, I feel like when I am home with my children, I’m preoccupied. Sometimes I feel like I’m not organized enough. Occasionally, I experience overwhelming guilt for my high expectations of my children. I struggle the most with worrying I don’t attend to the emotional needs of my children enough. I don’t even know what it would feel like to have a guilt-free dinner with my girlfriends. I carry the MOM GUILT burdens too.
Mommas, let’s work together to beat mom guilt. Let’s build each other up, and more importantly, let’s BUILD OURSELVES UP. Here are some steps toward managing (because let’s be honest, there’s no cure for it) MOM GUILT:
- Show yourself grace and forgiveness.
- Check your priorities regularly. Make lists if necessary.
- Ask for help. Delegate responsibilities. Find someone to talk to.
- Send yourself positive messages. Stick affirmations to your mirror if you have to.
- Steer clear of other moms who make you feel like less. Cut out the mom shamers and unfollow the “Instagram Perfect Mommas.”
Mommas, you are enough. You matter. NO VOICE IS TOO SMALL.