Mom guilt. If you’re a mom, you’ve felt it (hopefully not as much as I have). There are some aspects of motherhood that I”ll always feel guilty about (probably forever). So I’m sharing my story to help you feel a little less alone.
My Mom guilt started when my son was in utero. I had gestational diabetes, so I worried about his health and mine too. I wondered how I would possibly be responsible enough to look after another human. Could I manage it?
Once the little guy was born, I always felt frazzled. He didn’t nap much during the day (or at all). He cried a lot at night. Basically he was a normal baby, but I didn’t know how to cope. It didn’t help that I was alone. My son’s Dad travelled a lot for work to support the family, but that meant parenting was a full-time job without any breaks. I didn’t have anyone who was going through something similar. So it wasn’t until years later when I looked back on the whole scenario that I realised just how frustrated I really was.
That’s when more guilt kicked in. Why didn’t I just cherish the time with him? They’re only little once right? So now I overcompensate by constantly cuddling my son, giving him every opportunity to have fun experiences like going to the beach or other random adventures that he seems to still enjoy with me!
Being a working mom just adds on to the guilt. Am I feeding him properly? Should I have cooked something tonight instead of picking up food? Does he know how much I love him even though I”m at work all day? Is he happy in school? Is he ok because his Dad and I are divorced? Will he find a suitable match one day?
Needless to say my mind (like many of us moms) is super active!
I”d love to know what your mom guilt stories are so that we can all feel less consumed by it!