Over the summer my daughter said to me for the first time,”I want to be just like you, Mommy. I want to have a pink wallet and drive a silver car. I can run races and be a mommy just like you!” For a moment, I was taken aback. Rather than accepting that my daughter sees me as a role model, I immediately dismissed the thought of being good enough.
The media does an impeccable job of alluding to what the perfect mom should act and look like, from pregnancy to postpartum and everything in between. The projected image makes it easy to feel like you’ll never measure up or be good enough.
- Always look presentable.
- Make homemade nutritious meals every day.
- Always keeps your cool in any situation.
- Have perfect looking kids that are in all the extra-curricular activities.
Then come the second-guessing questions to evaluate your job as a mother:
Was is better to breastfeed or bottle feed?
Should I have another child?
Did I pick the right daycare?
Does my child know I love her?
Am I being a good role model?
Am I good enough to even be a mom?
All these thoughts rob us. You need to know that you are enough!
Remember these three pieces of advice the next time you aren’t feeling good enough:
Compare against yourself
We are all at different stages in our journey throughout motherhood. Do not compare someone else’s “Sunday best” to your “Monday worst.” Rather, reflect on how far you’ve come. Compare your past self to where you are today, and look forward to what you want to be in the future.
Give yourself credit
We are our own worst critic. Rather than looking at the negative, give yourself credit. Try finding five good things you did each day for a whole week. You will be surprised with how much good you have around you.
It’s all good
Embrace the mistakes. My mom often told me as a child that parenthood didn’t come with a manual. No one expects you to be perfect. Stop putting this unnecessary pressure on your shoulders.
Finally, know you are a good mom. You matter and are making a difference. Most importantly, you are enough.
Hi Angelica! I love this post, especially the part about comparing against ourselves instead of others. So wise!
I actually work for ForEveryMom.com, a faith-based parenting site, and I’d love to share your post with our readers. With your permission, I’d like to republish it on our site, giving you full credit as author, linking back here to the original, and including your bio and head shot. What do you think? 🙂
Hi Mary! My name is Sara, I am the owner of ICMB. I’d love to chat with you about sharing an excerpt of Angelica’s post on ForEveryMom.com! You can reach me at [email protected].
Thanks so much!