The Mom Guilt I’m Finally Letting Go Of

Mom guilt is funny.

You can feel guilty about almost anything.

Working.

Not working.

Screen time.

Snacks.

A messy house.

A clean house because maybe you’re spending too much time cleaning.

Signing your kids up for activities.

Not signing them up for enough activities.

It’s exhausting.

And I’m slowly realizing that I don’t want to spend my children’s childhood feeling guilty about how I’m parenting them.

So here are a few things I’m trying to let go of.

Screen Time

Yes, my kids have screens.

Sometimes they watch something while I make dinner.

Sometimes they play a game while I get something done.

Sometimes everyone needs a quiet hour.

I still care about balance.

But I’ve stopped believing that every minute of screen time is a parenting failure.

Convenience Food

There are nights when I cook.

There are nights when dinner is leftovers.

There are nights when we eat something incredibly easy.

Feeding my family is the goal.

It doesn’t have to be complicated to count.

The Messy House

Kids live here.

They play here.

They eat here.

They make crafts here.

They leave things on the floor.

I’ve decided that some amount of mess is simply evidence that we’re living our lives.

Of course, I still clean.

But I’m trying not to measure my worth by the state of my kitchen.

Saying No

We can’t do everything.

We can’t attend every party.

We can’t participate in every activity.

We can’t always say yes.

And that’s okay.

Sometimes saying no is how we protect our family’s time and energy.

Not Making Every Moment Magical

This one might be the hardest.

There’s so much pressure to create traditions, activities, sensory bins, themed breakfasts, elaborate birthday parties, and magical childhood memories.

But childhood doesn’t need to be a constant event.

Sometimes it’s watching a movie on the couch.

Sometimes it’s eating popsicles outside.

Sometimes it’s riding bikes around the neighborhood.

Sometimes it’s just being together.

That’s enough.

I’m not trying to become a guilt-free mom.

I’m just trying to become a mom who doesn’t spend quite so much time feeling guilty about being human.