mommy guilt

I’m completely sure that I cannot be the only mom on the planet who experiences mommy guilt. You know, the kind of guilt you get as a mom because you are, let’s say, going to work, when you have to tell your kids ‘no,’ or just that overall bad feeling you get when you can’t please your kids 24/7. I was chatting with my sister-in-law last night on Facebook and we had both had long days. We were conversing about how our days consist mostly of toddler conversations (her youngest is 2.5) and that the ‘outside world’ feels so foreign to us at times. We also discussed how other people in our lives (mainly the men – sorry guys!) do not understand the full-time nature of being a mom. I am not at all discounting the work that our husbands do outside of the home, or how HARD they work (geez, I think Steve is one of the hardest working people I have ever known!). However, the job of a mom is non-stop. A mom is a caretaker, a meeter of needs, a healer, an ombudsman, a scheduler, a cook, and a cleaner (well, only sometimes in my case! LOL). From the time we wake up in the morning until our heads hit the pillow at night (sometimes we even have night duty with the little ones), our minds are constantly going with what needs to happen next within the household.

This topic popped into my head recently because I’ve been realizing that I need to take more time to myself. I should NOT feel guilty about having ‘me’ time – uninterrupted time to shower/craft/walk – whatever!! So many times I’ve ‘asked’ Steve if he’d mind keeping an eye on the kids so I could go shower. He’s pretty much always been completely fine, but at times, I do get an eye-roll or a sense of frustration from him that he has to stop what he’s doing to watch the kids. Then I feel bad because I even asked and I don’t even get to enjoy my shower, darnit!

So here’s to all the moms out there who don’t take enough time for themselves and who feel guilty for not being ‘Super Mom’ ALL of the time. Lighten up, and go take a shower!