Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’ve had a busy week of working and dealing with the kiddos. My youngest has taken an interest in boxing, not getting into the ring but hitting the bag. It makes me happy. He’s following his interests. I’ve tried very hard for a long time to get him into an activity, and he’s found one. It’s a win in my book.
Photo credit: PortraitSpecialist on Visualhunt
Yesterday, we had a great day. It was warm and I went hiking with a friend. Just getting out in the woods is good for me. It’s a healthy way to relieve stress and it’s so important for us who have sedentary jobs to get up and move.
But enough about that. Today, I’d like to talk about something that I believe all mothers struggle with, and that is the feeling that we’ve let our babies down. I know I struggle with it.
The thing is our littles do not come out of the womb with instruction booklets. I wish they did. The reason I bring this up is because one child’s needs could differ greatly from the others. We learn as they grow, and sometimes we make mistakes. We’re not infallible. The problem is our kids think we are especially at that young age when they’re developing. If we make a mistake we have to apologize to our littles even when they’re babies even if we think they won’t remember. They might not remember the event, but they’ll remember the feeling. So, if we’re short with them or impatient we must apologize and let them know it’s not their fault. The reason for this is because they don’t understand their parents are human. They just feel your anger and they turn it on themselves and feel bad about themselves, and that’s the last thing we want them to feel.
Parenting is a huge task. It’s not for Sissies that’s for sure. We can become overwhelmed. When that happens, we need to ask for help. Help from our spouse or our own parents. It takes a village to raise a child. It really does. But what if your spouse is unavailable either physically or emotionally? What if your parents are unavailable? What do you do then?
That’s a good question. I suggest creating a mom group. Women who support each other. You can do play dates for you and your kids, swap babysitting, and have mom’s night out when you need to just get away from the littles for a while.
That brings me to another important issue. Self-care for moms. Being a mom is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. However, it can be quite isolating. You don’t get bonuses from the boss for doing a good job. No one is there to pat you on the back, and sometimes, it can be downright lonely. So, it’s important for moms to practice self-care.
Have a night out with friends, or work on a project that is important to you that you can do sporadically. Anything that returns you to your center and brings you peace, so you can be there for your babies.
Thanks for reading my reflective post today. I hope I’ve helped some struggling moms out there. The thing to remember is, kids are resilient and they’re very forgiving. If you make a mistake, take responsibility for it. An apology goes a long way.
How about you? Any wisdom to add for other struggling moms out there? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
