Dear Mom,
We all feel like we are failing from time to time. We have break downs and freak outs. Sometimes we find ourselves feeding the kids cereal for dinner and that, well that’s okay because I’ll tell you a secret. What happens now will build them up. Even the not so great things.
Dirt boosts the immune system. You let them get a little messy. That’s okay. You look over while out in public to notice they somehow covered themselves in dirt. Don’t feel embarrassed, it happens to us all and the truth is that dirt is boosting your child’s immune system. So not noticing they managed to find dirt in an empty white room well, no harm done.
They will know that no one is perfect and that doing the best you can is a good thing. No matter how hard you try some days you are going to slip up and do something you are not proud of. Let your child see that and let them see you keep trying to do better next time. No one is perfect and now is your chance to model how it’s the effort that matters.
They will love themselves for who they are. Today’s world is going to point out every flaw your child has to their face. By holding your own head up high even on rough days and showing your child that the opinion of others do not matter you are teaching your child to find joy in who they are.
Your children will be resilient. Sometimes you find yourself in a rough spot. Sometimes you have to do things for the betterment of the whole family. Your child may not be happy but they will move on and they will become stronger for it.
They won’t remember every freak out moment you have. In fact your child is wired to store happy memories of the great things you two do together. So when you calm down from that break down go do something fun because life is to short to sit and hound over a few moments of stress taking over.
They will value what they have. Your child does not need the latest and greatest. By not giving your child everything they want in life you are teaching them to value what they do have which will make them happier adults.
They will know you love them. At the end of the day your child will know they are loved. They will remember the sacrifices you made for them to have a better life and the time you spent with them. Not only will your child turn out just fine they will know they are loved.
All moms suffer from mommy guilt from time to time. Some of us suffer more than others but, we all know that feeling you get when your child got hurt when you ran off to go potty alone for the first time in years. It’s time to break the cycle and check out the book Guilt Free Motherhood by Amber Khan and find joy in motherhood again.
