You know about mum guilt right? Feeling sick in the stomach or 'bad' for taking time for yourself? Feeling like your kids are not getting enough or 'as much' as others? Feeling that you'll never be enough...oh yeah, that's mum guilt!
Studies have shown that a staggering 78% of mums feel guilty for actions they have taken while “mumming”, with 68% saying this occurred once or twice a day. The majority of mums attribute ‘not spending enough time with the kids’ as the main cause. Other causes include ‘not trying enough activities with the kids’ and ‘not being able to afford enough’.
Mummy Guilt is real. It is something all us mums have inside us and while we can channel the guilt for good (more on that later), if not channeled it has the ability to cripple us!
But where does it come from and WHY is it so prevalent amongst so many mums?
Think about the questions you get asked on a daily/weekly basis...You know the ones…Questions that punch us in our solar plexus and have us second guessing every decision we make for our babes!
These questions can be truly innocent enough in themselves and often the people asking them are not seeking to heap guilt or shame on anyone. They're just wanting to connect with us. However, what usually happens, is these questions weigh down on so many mums...which manifests as low self esteem...which cultivates a judgmental attitude (towards themselves firstly and then others)...and culminates in lingering mummy guilt.
Sound familiar?
I am here to share with you that it doesn’t have to be this way. It is OK to put yourself first. You CANNOT heap love and generosity on others when your cup is empty. You can't draw water from an empty well right?
And do you want to know the big secret that the 'guilt' doesn't want you to know? Self-care DOES NOT equal indulgence. Self-care occupies a beautiful middle ground between indulgence and neglect. You will be a better mother for it!
I would love for you to try at least 1 of my easy steps below to step away from the guilt and be imperfectly perfect knowing you’re doing the best you can. You WILL do better when you KNOW better.
So, when you feel those annoying, solar plexus crippling twangs of guilt, or whenever you feel too tired to play with the kids, or have to work on a weekend, or simply feel like taking a day off from adulting, REMEMBER you are enough and and are doing an amazing job.
And if that doesn’t work, grab a glass of wine and immerse yourself in the craziness of motherhood 😘 xx
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