It’s hard to be a parent. We’re constantly juggling work, family, and household responsibilities. And on top of that, we often feel guilty about not doing enough or not being able to please everyone.
Here’s some information about mom guilt and how to start overcoming it.
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What is mom guilt
All moms know the feeling: that nagging sense of guilt that comes from falling short of perfection. Whether it’s forgetting to pack a school lunch or letting the laundry pile up, mom guilt is an all-too-common phenomenon. But where does this guilt come from? In many cases, it stems from unrealistic expectations.
We live in a world that portrays motherhood as a perfect experience, complete with rose-tinted glasses and never a hair out of place. In reality, though, motherhood is messy and chaotic, and often overwhelming.
And that’s okay! Learning to let go of perfectionism is an important part of managing mom guilt. It’s also important to remember that no one is perfect and that we all make mistakes.
The causes of mom guilt
For any mother, the guilt is real. Mom guilt is when you’re constantly questioning if you’re doing enough for your child. It’s the feeling that you’re not cut out for this motherhood gig. It’s when you feel like you’re falling short, no matter what you do. And trust me, you’re not alone.
As any mother knows, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Every day we make decisions that we hope are in our children’s best interests, but we also know that we’re not always going to get it right. And when we don’t, we may start to feel something that has come to be known as “mom guilt.”
Mom guilt can manifest in many different ways. Maybe you feel guilty for working outside the home, or for not spending enough time with your kids. Maybe you feel guilty for being impatient, or for not being able to do everything yourself.
Whatever the cause, mom guilt is a common feeling among mothers of all ages. If you’re struggling with mom guilt, there are a few things you can do to help ease the burden.
Mom guilt for working
There’s no reason to feel guilty for being a working mom, whether you work in or out of the home. After all, you’re just doing what you need to do to support your family. And besides, plenty of moms have gone before you and managed to raise happy, healthy children while holding down a job. So take a deep breath and relax – you’re going to be just fine.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that being a working mom is always easy. It can be tough to juggle everything on your plate. But just remember that you’re not alone – millions of other moms are in the same boat. And if anyone tries to tell you that you’re not doing enough for your children, just ignore them. You know what’s best for your family, and you’re doing an amazing job.
Mom guilt for yelling
If you’re a mom, chances are you’ve felt guilty about yelling at your kids. Maybe it was in the moment, or maybe it was later when you had a chance to calm down. Either way, it’s normal to feel bad after losing your temper with your children.
The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and try to do better next time. One way to do this is to apologize to your kids. Let them know that you’re sorry for losing your temper and that you’ll try to do better in the future.
You can also use the experience as a learning opportunity for yourself. Take some time to reflect on what led to the outburst and see if there are any steps you can take to prevent it from happening again. Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself.
We all make mistakes, and moms are no exception. Just remember that your kids love you, even when you screw up. If you want to explore a topic that will help you start to identify why you’re yelling, what sets you off, and how to stop yelling at your kids as often, read about mindful parenting.
This is what helped me stop yelling at my kids as often as I used to and has helped me reframe some of my ideas around parenting. I’m working on reacting out of logic rather than emotion now. That helps tremendously with mom guilt, because now I yell less, so now I normally feel less guilty.
More reading:
- Best Mindful Parenting Books (Secular & Non-Woo-Woo)
- How to Encourage Perfectionist Kids to Try New Things
- 24 Powerful Mindful and Positive Affirmations for Toddlers
- How to Discipline Your Child Without Hitting or Yelling (Positive Parenting Tips)
- 5 Ways to Stay More Present in Your Kid’s Life
- 13 Realistic Ideas for Better Self Care for Work from Home Parents
How to deal with mom guilt
1. Acknowledge your feelings: The first step is to simply acknowledge that you’re feeling guilty. Don’t try to push the emotions away or pretend they don’t exist. Acknowledging your feelings will help you to move on from them more quickly.
2. Talk about it: Talking about your mom guilt can help to lessen its impact. Share your feelings with a friend or family member who will understand and offer support.
3. Take action: If you’re feeling guilty because you think you’re not doing enough for your child, take action! Whether it’s spending more time with them or getting involved in their school activities, taking steps to address your guilt will help you to feel better. Learn mindful parenting techniques that will help you react to your kids’ behavior out of logic instead of emotions like annoyance, anger, or frustration.
4. Give yourself a break: Remember that you’re only human and that you can’t do everything perfectly all the time. Cut yourself some slack and don’t be so hard on yourself.
5. Seek professional help: If mom guilt is impacting your life in a negative way, seek professional help. A therapist can help you to work through your feelings and develop coping strategies.
Why it’s important to deal with mom guilt
We all make mistakes, and we all feel guilty about them from time to time. But what we need to remember is that our children are not perfect either. They will make mistakes, and they will need our help and understanding when they do.
Dealing with mom guilt is an important part of being a parent. If we can learn to let go of our guilt and focus on our children’s needs, we will be better parents for it. And our children will be better people for it too.
Modeling emotional regulation, managing perfectionism, indulging in healthy levels of self-care, and practicing emotional intelligence are all parts of mindful parenting and will help your children learn how to take care of themselves better and make time for their own needs.
Consider whether you’d want your own children to feel guilty for working to support their own families in the future. You wouldn’t want them to feel that way, right?
By finding ways to deal with our own parental guilt we’re showing them how to overcome that guilt for themselves in the future.
