This Is the Story of My Mom Guilt

The following is written by guest blogger, Patricia Taylor (Life of a Minister Mom).

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I still remember that day vividly. It was a couple months ago and I was packing for a work conference and feeling stressed. You, like mommy, woke up a ‘grumpadump’ as we like to call it, and nothing, I mean nothing would please you. Finally I hit my limit, and the next time you whined I let out a roar. A crazy, loud, harsh, and devastating roar. You burst into tears because mommy had lost it, and I burst into tears because in that moment, I had failed you as parent. The rest of the day I was silent, reflective, and wracked with guilt. The following day the guilt lingered, and on to the next day and for days and weeks to come. By this time the guilt had shifted away from that particular incident, and onto a myriad of other moments of my perceived failure.

I’ve been guilty of letting you watch too much T.V. Then there was that time I forgot to give you a vegetable at dinner. I wasn’t really paying attention to the last story you told me, and the other night I really, really needed a break from you or your sissy touching me. I know you can hear the impatience in my voice too often, and I never feel like I spend enough quality time with you.

The list goes on and on, and it seems the aches and pains of mom guilt never subside. The day-to-day regrets cloud our minds, and the ‘shoulda woulda coulda’s’ begin to loom larger than the ‘happily present and in the moment’ thoughts. Mom guilt has a way of seeping into every crevice of our parenting decisions, but the truth ladies, is that it’s time to revisit the Frozen soundtrack and make the decision to let. it. go.

The mistakes will continue and if you’re anything like me, you’ll still be harder on yourself than anyone else could be. It’s ok to want to make better decisions for our children, but it’s not ok to beat ourselves up daily and dwell on all the things we got wrong. You’re probably thinking ‘hmph, easier said than done’, and you’re right. But it’s worth a try. It’s worth a try so we can actually thrive, not just survive this parenting journey. It’s worth a try so we can show our children that it’s fine to be an imperfect human and make mistakes. It’s worth a try because we can show them that even when we get it all wrong, we always have the opportunity to get back up and try again.

Don’t let the mom guilt consume you sweet mama. Remember that you are not alone! More than this, remember you are the most important, wonderful, beautiful, and special person in your child’s life and they’ve already forgiven you and moved on. Each day is a new day to shower our precious gifts with our love, and when our tone begins to change and our voices start to elevate,remember this: our children understand the gift of grace, and they will always, always love us just the same.

?Patricia

About Patricia:

Patricia A. Taylor is a California native making the most of her new roots in Georgia, even in the absence of In-N-Out Burger and her beloved SF Giants. She is the proud wife of an amazing man, and mama to two precious girls. She works part-time as a breastfeeding peer counselor, and firmly believes that motherhood, like life, is a journey best shared with others. Her heart’s desire is to cultivate down-to-earth and faith-filled connections where real experiences are shared, and sincere encouragement is given. Visit www.lifeofaministermom.com and join her on this adventure! You can also find her on Instagram: @lifeofaministermom and on Facebook at Life of a Minister Mom.

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