Mom guilt. Every mom I know deals with it on some level or another. Here is a secret that I have recently discovered surrounding mom guilt... The more "mommy articles" that get fed to me through Facebook and other social media, the worse the mom guilt gets.
Did you know that every article you read online isn't always right? Wow, that is a shocker isn't it!! Even if it contains solid advice, it doesn't mean that what you are doing is wrong! Those posts with numbered lists are the worst ones in my opinion for fueling the mom guilt we already struggle enough to get past.
Today I read an article that was called "7 things your child should know how to do before they turn 13". Well now, that is an article worth reading since I have a 13 year old who will actually be 14 here in a couple of weeks. No friends... that was a trap! A judgement trap. As I read this article, my mind immediately started comparing my 13 year old to this online list. Some of the things he knows how to do and does, some of them he doesn't. That immediately made me start judging myself and thinking that I haven't taught him enough in life.
And then reality hit... who is to say what he needs to know by the time he is 13? I am pretty sure that is my job as his mom and not the job of some random person out in cyberspace to tell me how much my child is lacking. He knows a lot and he can fend for himself when necessary. He can do his own laundry and cook basic meals. He may not mow the lawn or do major projects around the house, but he is 13! He isn't the adult in the house. He has chores and he has responsibilities. He is a well rounded kid.
We don't have to buy into this type of mom guilt! There are plenty of legitimate reasons to question ourselves as moms, we don't need an internet article to make us question even more!!
So, next time you see an article titled, "10 things your toddler should master before their 3rd birthday" do yourself a favor and just skip reading it!! I mean, we all know that our babies grow and learn at exactly the same pace, right? We did know that didn't we? Oh wait... no... our babies are human beings! They are each unique and no two babies are exactly alike! They don't grow teeth at the same pace or eat new foods at the same pace. They don't learn to use the potty at the same time (ask me about this week's potty training story if you want to know what we are currently facing in our home... you will laugh... I didn't, but you will!!) or learn to speak at the same pace. They are their own unique person and that is MORE THAN OK!! Celebrate your babies for who God made them to be!! Love them for who they are!!
When you are finished loving on them, love yourself too for the fantastic mom that you are!! From one mom to another... You are loved, you are beautiful, and you are an absolutely AMAZING mom to your babies!! You feed them, you clothe them, you love them, you educate them... you my friend are ROCKING this mom thing!!
