If you’re struggling to be the best you can be for your family and feel like a bad mom, then you’re not alone. Taking care of your loved ones can feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Learn how to deal with depleted mother syndrome and the indisputable signs that you’re a great mom.
Comparing yourself to others online or within your inner circle can make you feel as though you’re not good enough. Trying to be someone else or looking to please others can play a role in how you parent. Some of the factors that impact the way you’re feeling include doubting yourself, feeling overwhelmed, placing others’ needs before your own, and not following your intuition.
At times, comments and opinions from loved ones may come to mind and create confusion about how you raise your family. Below are 5 things to remember when you feel like a bad mom:
- Look for the positive: There’s always a silver lining to any situation in your life. Comments and opinions might come from the right place, but you won’t always see it this way.
- Understand you can’t do it all: Delegating is your friend, and don’t be afraid to delegate things to your family and friends. If you find that you don’t have support within your immediate circle, then seek the help of local services. These can include cleaning, food shopping, and even landscaping.
- Practice gratitude: Starting a gratitude journal or jotting down ideas about the things that make you happy in your life can boost your energy and improve your outlook on your day-to-day.
- Seek help if needed: Speaking to a professional about how you’re feeling can help you understand why your emotions are valid and remind you of how common it is to feel this way.
- Remove yourself from negative conversations: Some of the thoughts you might be feeling might not have been generated by you. This is why it’s important to be mindful of the company you keep. Not everyone is going to lift you up or create a safe place for you to share how you’re feeling.
Signs You’re A “Bad Mother”
People will label you and make you feel like a bad mom. It’s up to you to figure out whether or not you’ve been a bad mom. Some of the signs of being a bad mother in today’s society include being over or under-involved in your children’s lives, having little or no discipline when it comes to parenting your child, and being too strict.
No matter how you slice it, you will be judged for being too concerned or not concerned enough for your children. Society has a way of making you feel as though your best isn’t enough or that you need to be doing more for your loved ones.
Good mom qualities include being organized, staying calm, being brave, taking time to be available, and being loving with your children.
There are reasons for experiencing cold mother syndrome, which is being emotionally absent or unresponsive to their children’s needs. Oftentimes a mom might be distracted or uninterested during interactions with their children. Mom burnout may be the cause of these actions, and paying attention to these symptoms can help someone cope with their emotions.
Is It Too Late To Be A Better Mom?
Your children will always need their mom, regardless of their age. You’re given a new day for a reason and a reminder that you can start over. If you find that you’ve been a bad parent to your children, then you may want to take the following points into consideration:
- Assess the current situation: You can’t go back in time, but you can improve on what is happening today.
- Own your mistakes: There may be things in the past that you weren’t aware of at the time when they occurred. Bring up the mishaps and make them right.
- Give sincere apologies: Being honest with the ones you love can make a difference in the relationship you have together. Don’t be afraid of apologizing first.
- Learn from the past: Embracing where you are today is one thing, and learning from where you’ve been is another. Take the past as a learning lesson and move forward.
Other Questions About Why You Feel Like A Bad Mom
Does it ever get easier being a mom?
In theory, being a mom doesn’t get easier. Parenting becomes more challenging as your children get older because they are less independent and require a village to raise them. Aside from the obvious “older kid, bigger problems”, there’s a need to understand that with less dependency comes more flexibility for you as a mom.
What is the hardest stage of motherhood?
The hardest stage of motherhood depends on your experience as a mom. It’s been known that infancy is the hardest for first-time parents, while the toddler stage remains the most stressful for second and third-time parents. Overall, each parenting stage presents its own special challenges.
Is it normal to feel like you’re a bad mom?
Understanding that it is normal to feel like a bad mom is a common struggle mothers experience when taking care of their children. The comparison game is one of the main factors for these emotions, and letting other people’s opinions can take a toll on your sanity when you give them the power to do so.