I recently read a stat that nearly 90 percent of mothers experience ‘mom guilt’ at some point and 21 percent of them feel guilty most or all the time. I’m somewhere on that spectrum—although I’ve become a lot less hard on myself over time. It’s really been the little things that have allowed my perfectionist self some latitude to be, well, flawed—and okay about that. For example: Mommy Memes. I find them strangely comforting, with parental pick-me-up quotes like: The authors of those totally get it. It’s reassuring to know that other moms—so many moms—feel the exact same way as me: We strive for greatness in our motherhood role because we think that’s what our children need to become great. And, if they don’t turn out so great, then we assume it’s all our fault. So, over the years, while battling…
I know what you may be thinking – we all long for the day our precious little nugget looks up at us with adoring eyes and says their first word, and yes, we pretend to be ok with it when that first word is “Dada” (because after-all they’re REALLY just making sounds, not saying words or naming their favorite parent…right?!). But I’m not talking about first words.