Mom Guilt

Does Mom Guilt ever get the best of you?

Do you ever think you could be doing more or what you are doing is not good enough? I feel like every mom I talk to experiences this several times a day and I am no exception!!!!

It seems like a million times a day I think to myself did I sing the ABC's with Allyn enough times today or did I stimulate Hollis enough. Also, I feel like when I wake up in the morning my list of things I want to do with the girls is huge, but then I fall asleep at night not having done enough! I know this is mom guilt!! Why do we have mom guilt and why does it have such a hold of us???

Today was Cleaning House Day and while cleaning mom guilt was getting to me more than ever. I felt horrible that Hollis was playing in her jumper and that Allyn was playing by herself in the playroom. I just felt like I should stop cleaning and play with the girls, but then how would the house ever get clean? We do not have a house elf that lives here! (Harry Potter humor!)

So alas, I found a way to minimize my mom guilt when I have to get things done around the house. I coin it, "Learning How to Be a Mommy Day." These are the days that you have lots of laundry to do and lots of house chores that need to be done, but you feel guilty about not interacting as usual with your children. Rest easy all you moms, you are not being a bad mom when you have to clean house one day... you are simply showing them how to care for your home! I guess this theory works well when you have girls. Hmmm... for all you boy moms I think you can rest easy that you are showing your son how to appreciate his future wife and all she will contribute in keeping their house in order!! Whatever makes you feel better right? I know this sounds weird, but I feel so horrible when I have to do housework and do not get to play with the girls like I would normally do! Please do not try to analyze what goes on in my head! You will get further pounding sand!

After all, how can mom guilt get the best you when you look at these faces???