I will never forget this experience: In the grocery store, Charlotte was making life very difficult and a woman in her 50’s caught my eye. I softly said “the joys of shopping with a toddler”. She hissed back at me “I enjoyed every moment with mine”. I wanted the earth to swallow me up and wow, I felt like the worst mother possible. Now who knows what tragedy has struck that poor woman’s life so I wish her peace, but it’s no wonder that it took me so long to accept today’s notion…
Motherhood observation #3: It is ok to acknowledge that there are times when child rearing is a burden, when it’s not fun, when you’d rather be doing something else. This does not make you a bad mother. It does not mean you love your child any less. In my experience, pressure to ‘enjoy everything’ or to suppress honest negative feelings about motherhood only amplifies stress. My guiding principle is to relish the good and make peace with the not so good.
If you need someone to talk to about your experience of motherhood, please get in touch. An impartial sounding board can be just what you need. I’ve been there, I am there… and I understand! Drop me a line at suzy@suzyreading.co.uk