So I realized after I had published my post last time that it was really more about inadequacy instead of guilt. They both probably go hand in hand. Mommy guilt is something no mother is immune too. Mommy guilt is something I am all to familiar with. I think I deal with this almost everyday to some extent. First off, there's the battle between house work and child care. If my house is clean and everything in order, I feel like I have sacrificed time with Titus. If the house is a disaster and I play with Titus, I feel like I failed as well. I am working to find the balance between having a clean home and cherishing the time I have with my sweet sweet boy. I try so hard to remind myself that we will look back and remember the fun day playing blocks or reading books, and not that the floor was dirty. I just need to find the balance to keep myself sane as far as the cleanliness of the house.
Then there is the guilt about parenting choices or food choice. We're always asking ourselves, "Am I setting him up for failure or success?" What if he grows up and does.... Or what if I pass my body image issues on to my child? Or whatever that particular guilt and stress you feel over your decisions. This ties right back into my previous post about Satan trying to convince us we've got it wrong and everyone else has it all figured out. It's lies, all lies.
I don't really have any answers to how to solve the mommy guilt battle, but I just want to put it out there. We all struggle with it. I hate to think of mothers struggling with these issues and feeling like their the only ones. The enemy wants to keep us isolated. He wants us to believe we are all alone on this journey and no one understands our difficulties. This is not God's design. God's design is for us to live in community. As mother's we owe it to each other to be real. To talk about those struggles and encourage one another on our parenting journey. I want to be an encouragement to the mother's I'm around. I want to be able to be real about our struggles and our success.
No more masks, no more facades. Just real. Just me.
Megan! I am so glad that I clicked on this link in your facebook page. You are one of the most intelligent women I have ever known. I brag to anyone and everyone who will listen about your amazing parenting style and how adorable Titus is growing up to be. He is smart, cute and just the whole package. It really says a lot about his parents and the family he is growing up in. I love you so much and hope to see you over the semester in Manhappiness!
ReplyDeleteLove Abbey
Well said Megan! All moms go through this...whethere stay-at-home moms or working moms...the guilt is there for us all. I also couldn't agree more on putting it out there for other mothers to read. It is always nice, and reassuring, to know you're not alone! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
whethere should be whether...:-/
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