Real Talk
No, You’re Not a Bad Mom If You Do These Things
As moms, we always put this insane pressure on ourselves to be the best mothers we can be to our children. The ideal: to show the world that we can hack it all — work, baby, disciplining, feeding our kids well, looking like we didn’t give birth at all. And, if you think about it, it’s a lot to expect out of one person. Cut yourself some slack, mom — nobody’s perfect — motherhood is just really, really, hard.
Do you believe you’re a bad mom? You’re probably doing a better job than you think you are. Here’s why:
“My baby won’t sleep through the night!”
One frustrating question new moms love to ask each other: “Is your baby sleeping though the night?” Unless you have a night nanny or paid a sleep-training consultant, there’s a good chance that you aren’t getting much sleep. Here’s the thing, babies — especially newborns—wake up several times a night. Studies show that at 6 months of age, only 43 percent of mothers reported eight-hour blocks of consecutive sleep. So, yes, you aren’t alone.
“My kid eats fast food.”
Motherhood is tough, which means that it’s totally OK to cut corners. And if that means having to feed your kids fast food because you’re out of groceries or just don’t have the time to cook, don’t beat yourself up about it. Cut yourself some slack and give them healthier options next time around, a few bad meals does not make you a bad mom! Need help on getting your kid to eat veggies? Check our article out!
“I don’t spend enough time with my kids”
It doesn’t matter if you’re a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, your kids will turn out fine even if you spend hours at a time away from them. It’s normal to feel like you’re always coming up short when it comes to your kids, even if you’re always around them. You need your me-time — you need to relax and let loose. You’re your own person, and you need to think of yourself, too.
“My kid gets a lot of screen time”
Just because your kids get an hour a day of CocoMelon or PawPatrol doesn’t make you a bad mom. Check out our article on giving kids extra screen time — it’s the pat on the back you didn’t know you needed.
“I’m not breastfeeding my baby”
Here’s one thing that moms need to hear more often: fed is best. It doesn’t matter if you’re formula feeding or breastfeeding, what matters is that your bub is getting the nutrition he or she needs. You need to do what’s best for both of you — and if that means switching to the bottle, so be it!
“I think my kids are annoying”
Everyone has their boundaries, even with people you’ve given birth to. Yes, we get that they’re the cutest, sweetest things ever…except when they’re not. Yup, we totally get it if you don’t want to spend your days staring at them in adoration. Thinking your kids are annoying is normal, especially when your toddler asks you the same question for the millionth time…
“I have a yaya”
Everyone, even super moms like you needs help every once in awhile. And if you’re blessed enough to have a great yaya , you should consider yourself very lucky. Remember, you’re not a bad mom if you ask for help, heck, you deserve all the help you can get!
Raising tiny humans is hard work. Give yourself a break, say bye to mom guilt and focus on the opinions that really matter — your kids’! Because at the end of the day, there’s nobody else they’d rather snuggle with. You’ve got this!
