Mom Guilt

The day you become a mother, everything changes.  All of a sudden, you’re responsible for shaping this tiny little human being into a kind, loving, well-rounded, well-dressed, PhD wielding citizen.  There’s a lot of pressure to raise a CEO.  Not a criminal.

And what’s crazy, is the majority of that pressure comes from our fear of other peoples’ opinions.  It is the weight we place on how other people perceive our mother-li-ness.  It is the pressure we place on ourselves to keep up, or fall short. 

And that pressure is magnified by the “perfect mom” image we see all around us.  Everyday.

It’s the highlight reel on Instagram.  The impossible toddler birthday parties on Pinterest. The bounce-back body of the celebrity mother.

We are told that in order to be a good mom, we need to BE a certain way.  ACT a certain way.  SHOW UP in a certain way.  And we are told that a good mom, is the kind of mom that lives only and ever for her children.

And so how do we deal with that pressure?

Either we put the peddle to the metal, and go hell-bent on trying to keep up….all the while, feeling exhausted, depleted and worn-out from over-accommodating our childrens’ needs, and under-accommodating our own.

Or….

We pursue our own dreams, chase the thing that lights our soul on fire, and become the CEO ourselves….all the while shackling ourselves to guilt over doing so.

Mom guilt is an insidious epidemic that is running rampant in women's’ lives.  And yet, mom guilt does not serve us in any way.  Nor does it serve our children.

We were someone before we had our children.  And that person still matters.

If we truly want to inspire our children, and support them in being the best versions of themselves, we need to show them, in real time, what it looks like to pursue our dreams.  To live a fulfilled life.  And to prioritize our own well-being.  Especially when it comes to our physical health. 

​The greatest gift we can give to ourselves, and our children, is to stop giving so much weight to other peoples’ opinions, and to start living according to our own internal compass.  Guilt free. 

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