Mommy guilt.
Two little words, that as soon as I type them together, my heart starts racing.
I had always heard of non-stop guilt a mother would feel that starts before a baby is even born but never knew quite the impact it would make on my daily life. It is one of those things you feel and perhaps think it is only you because you are doing “insert task here”.
I am a full-time working mother. I do not have a choice in this matter. If I want to put food on the table, have health insurance, get my daughter a new pair of shoes, I have to work. Even though I know I am doing the right thing for me and my family, I still feel guilt over missing out on many things. For a while, I thought only other working moms felt this guilt. Not true. I have several stay-at-home-mom friends who also feel guilt, but for different reasons. Common things said include their child could benefit from daycare to help sharpen social skills before they start school or that the mom wants to be a good example of how to succeed in the workplace.
No matter what choices we make as moms, one thing is for certain: we need to help encourage each other. I remember watching an Oprah episode where it was a working mom versus stay-at-home mom debate. Why is that debatable? Tearing each other down for our choices is not something we should debate. We should worry about our own family and doing the best for them, not comparing ourselves to other women.
Do you suffer from mommy guilt? Share your thoughts and advice below!