5 Reasons Why It’s Totally Okay to Sometimes Be a “Bad Mom”
There are creative moms who make art out of lunch and take Leibovitz-level photos of their children. And there are powerful moms who rock the #momboss role while ruling the roost at home too. For the rest of us mere mortals, it often seems like there is an imaginary goalpost that moves further into the horizon every. Single. Day. Between spit-ups and soccer practice or baby proofing and bathing yourself, the definition of being a “good” mom is open to interpretation.
1. You need a break. Give yourself a break and say no if you really don’t have the time or energy to take something else on. There will be plenty of chances for you to volunteer, chaperone or carpool in the future. If you don’t have the bandwidth for something at the moment, be honest and pick it up another time.
2. There are only 24 hours in a day. There’s always going to be something else you need to do. Maybe it’s the dishes piling up or the dirty laundry pooling around the floor. Whatever it is, give yourself permission to ignore the things that you don’t have to get done right this minute in favor of keeping your sanity in check.
3. You can enable your kids. Once they’re old enough, give your kids the gift of empowerment. Make it a routine for your kiddos to make their own breakfast before school, pick out their clothes for the day or to take on something else that you would normally do for them. Kids love being in charge of things, so let them lead the charge with self-reliance.
4. It’s normal to get emotional. Feeling stressed? Say so and take a moment to take a deep breath, even if your kids are watching. Your kids will feel stressed, overwhelmed, angry and a whole bunch of other not-so-great emotions over the course of their lives. Show them that it’s normal to have these feelings, and that there are positive ways to work through it.
5. You’re keeping it real. Meet your daily challenges head on and demonstrate how to manage setbacks, bullies and whatever lemons life throws at you. At the end of the day, parenting is about raising little humans to one day be kind, self-reliant and thoughtful bigger humans. Show them how to think critically through issues by letting them see that you are human too.
What are your best “bad mom” moments? Tweet us your tips @BritandCo!
(Photos via Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
