Top 5 Things Moms
Should Never Feel Guilty About
I heard a saying once that goes, “Behind every great kid is
a mother who’s pretty sure she’s screwing it up.” Motherhood and excessive
guilt seem to go hand-in-hand. Here’s a list (in no particular order) of five
things moms should never feel guilty about.
1.
Not sharing
your ice cream, especially if it’s really good ice cream, you know the kind
served by the pint. Now, the recommended serving for that really good, pint-sized size ice cream is a half a cup (I
laugh), but let’s be honest, what mother,
in her not-so-right mind (because that’s when we eat ice cream) stops at
a half a cup? So technically, there are four servings. One, for you, one for
hubs, and one to share with each of your two kids. You could share, but why would you? This is
really good, pint-sized ice cream and your kids would be just as happy with an
orange Popsicle. Don’t waste the good stuff on them! Sharing your ice cream
with hubs, on the other hand, is inherent in the marriage vows and must be done
unless you enjoy eating your really good, pint-sized ice cream in your closet
next to your shoes… and who wouldn’t?
2. Not pairing socks. I gave up on pairing
socks about three years ago and the feeling of freedom lingers with me to this
day. Pairing socks is for people who care about wearing matching socks. Your
kids don’t care and they may not care until they are adults and maybe not even
then. So why waste time pairing them? I pair my husband’s socks, but he pays
the bills around here, he deserves matching socks, although he is color blind
and wouldn’t be able to tell either way.
But, let’s say you are one of those moms who has to have everything matchy-matchy,
(It’s okay, there’s no shame in that.) and you wouldn’t dream of sending your
kids to school with mismatched socks. My question to you then would be; why
would you do a task that your kid learned the necessary skill for probably as
early as the age of three? Put that sock basket in front of them and let them match to your heart’s content!
3. Not playing video games with your kids.
I do everything for my children: I’ve fed them, burped them, cleaned up their
vomit, coached their basketball team, sewed on their badges, tolerated their ornery
friends, but I am not going to let them kick my can in Mario Cart! You may say,
“But Annie, don’t you believe in playing with your kids?” Sure, I do! We hike
together, bike together, play cards and kickball together, but I refuse to pick
up a game controller for them, unless they want to play Tetris, then there may
be some room to negotiate.
4. Not breastfeeding your baby. Now before
you get all hysterical, let me explain. Do I believe that breastfeeding is
better, more cost-effective, and important for bonding and good health? Yes, a
thousand million times. I also know that sometimes it does not come naturally
and try as you might to make that happen for you and your baby it just doesn’t. I did not breastfeed my twin sons. That was
my first test of motherhood and I felt like I had failed. After all the rigors
of carrying 15.3 lbs. of baby and then the sleeplessness nights and the
adjustment from just being responsible for me and now being responsible for these
two new lives was overwhelming, and I’m sure it was the stress and malnutrition
of not being able to properly care for myself contributed to not being able to
produce enough milk for these not-so-tiny newborns. I was able to relinquish some of the guilt of
breastfeeding failure came when my baby daughter came into the world and
latched on as if she’d read “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” in the
womb. I abandoned the rest of my guilt
for not breastfeeding my twin sons on their first day of kindergarten when I
looked around the room and thought to myself, “Can you tell which of these kids
have been breastfed and who hasn’t?” Nope.
