We all go in to motherhood with a picture in our minds of the perfect mom, and we’re all surprised when we don’t turn into the mom we had pictured. Don’t sweat it, you don’t have to be the perfect mom.
Read on for 10 reasons we think being a perfect mom is overrated.
The little things
don’t matter
It’s OK if the toys aren’t perfectly organized, there are dishes in the sink and the laundry is piling up. It’s not the end of the world if your cabinets are chipped or if there’s a sea of Cheerios under your couch cushions. Your kids don’t care about those things and neither should you — at least not all of the time. Spend time with your kids whenever you can, and get to everything else when you can fit it in, not vice versa.
Everyone gets upset
It’s not easy being a mom. It’s one of the most difficult jobs in the world, plus you don’t get time off. That’s a ton of stress, and it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Every mom gets upset from time to time, and anyone who tells you she doesn’t is lying.
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You don’t have a manual
You brought your babies home from the hospital with blankets, bottle and binkies, but the hospital didn’t send an instruction book. Parenting books may give you a bit of direction, but they’re not tailored to your situation exactly. Most of the decisions you make will likely be from the hip, and not all of those are going to be right. Learn from your mistakes and move on.
You’re setting
yourself up to fail
If you set an unreachable goal for yourself, you’re always going to feel a like a failure. Set goals that you know you can accomplish and work toward them. Reaching those goals should be “perfect enough.”
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There aren’t enough
hours in the day
There are only 24 hours in a day, and you have to spend some of them asleep. There’s no way you can accomplish everything you’d like to, so you just have to prioritize. If cooking dinner from scratch is high on your list, go for it. But accept that it might mean you need to give up that afternoon run. Decide what’s really important to you and let everything else go.
Help is available
You probably have help ready and willing to step in and give you a hand. Whether it’s your mom, in-laws, neighbors, siblings or girlfriends, there’s probably someone who would love to take your kids off your hands every now and then, or even just come over and sit with them while you attempt to clean or cook dinner without interruption. It may not be the “perfect” thing to do, but take advantage of that help. You’ll get more a lot more done, and your family and friends really won’t mind.
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You have to take
care of yourself, too
Your kids don’t need a mom who can do it all, they just need a mom that smiles and is happy with life. Instead of stressing all the time about what’s “perfect,” just do the best you can and be happy with it.
You can’t make
everyone happy
No matter what you do, someone will want you to do it differently. Everyone has a different vision of “perfect,” and other people’s visions won’t match with yours. Do what you feel is best for your family and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.
There’s no such thing
as perfect
Have you ever met the perfect mom? Neither have we. That’s because she doesn’t exist! It’s impossible to be a perfect mom, so work hard to be the best mom you can be, and be happy with that.
You’re perfect to them
You may not look in the mirror and see the perfect mom, but when your kids look at you that’s exactly what they see. You’re prefect to them in every way that counts, and that’s all that matters.
Quick tip
Get enough sleep. You may think you’re wasting time when you should be burning the midnight oil, but rested moms are more productive during waking hours.
More about why being a perfect mom is overrated
More advice for moms
10 Qualities of a super mom
5 Benefits of positive thinking
5 Secrets of supermoms
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