Before I became a mom I had friends who told me about the mom guilt. Honestly I really didn’t think it was a “thing”… I then was lucky enough to become a mom myself and found out really quickly that not only was it a “thing”, it was a thing that RULES your life as soon as you don that moniker of “mom”…
Add to that the working mom guilt and I can’t believe that any of us leave this life relatively sane. Gemma is sick. She was absolutely fine all weekend. Until just before I left for my run yesterday afternoon. Cue the guilt. “I’m leaving for a run, Gems is running a low grade fever. Maybe I shouldn’t go? Should I stay?” Good lord it’s enough to drive a person dilly.
Being up most of the night (not cos she was especially miz but cos I kept waking up to check the monitor to see if she was ok {yes my 20 month old is still monitored by a baby monitor}) and waking up to a fever of 38.5 meant someone needed to stay home. My man has *just* started a new job so it had to be me. Cue the working mom guilt. I felt bad cos I had to “call in sick” but then I felt bad cos “my baby is sick and I’m worried about work”. Work/Home balance? What the fudge is that??
My baby is sick and it’s the last week of the sales month. All my baby wants is me but I have over 5 million to write in orders in a week. GUILT. GUILT. GUILT. Because I know that at some point in this tricky day I am going to let someone down. And I strongly suspect it will be my sick baby… because [[[bills]]] and I need my salary…
I’ve worked at every chance I could during the day but as any mom can attest, it’s not really possible to get all THAT much work done with a sick child glued to your chest. Cue MORE guilt. Late night catching up to prove I’m not a bad employee… which means a tired person tomorrow… for both work and my family… GUILT. GUILT. GUILT.
Good gosh, if any one has good tips on how to manage the mom guilt, please pass them on?
Hugs my dear friend! I wish I had even just one good tip other than don’t beat your self up!
Work is essential but family is always first
I agree with the fact that family is first always, it is just sometimes not possible to always put that into action I’m afraid when there are bills to be paid and food to put on the table.
Parenthood is not easy that’s for sure!
xx
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 07:17:14 +0000 To: se-ri-ous_sam@hotmail.com
My tip…. learn to live with it.
It sucks but I can’t see how it will ever go away.
Hope Gems is better!
That’s a good tip 😉 I hope I can find a way to live with it cos it’s an aweful feeling.
And yes she’s much better now thanks xx
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:44:08 +0000 To: se-ri-ous_sam@hotmail.com
I completely relate to this… I feel it all the time, and you’d think after this many years that I’d get used to it
What I am finding quite disheartening is that experienced moms like yourself haven’t found a way around this yet, it scares me because my kids are still so little!
xx
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2015 18:24:26 +0000 To: se-ri-ous_sam@hotmail.com
Part of the club – always! My A missed a great swimming opportunity because I could not be there and she did not know all the rules (neither did I but I would have asked and she was to shy). I have no good advice because it just sucks. All the time
I’m sorry that you’re also in this boat. I am really working hard to try not put so much pressure on myself because the fact is I have to work (we can’t survive on one salary) and my kids aren’t even in big school yet. I have to try and figure it out before then but if someone as organised as you hasn’t found the secret yet, then I am at a total loss…
xxx
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2015 07:39:37 +0000 To: se-ri-ous_sam@hotmail.com