Parenting
It was 7:30 AM when my daughter approached me, concern etched on her little face. “What’s wrong, Mommy? You okay?” she asked.
The reason for her worry? I was sprawled on the living room floor, weeping into my fifth cup of coffee—by 7:30 in the morning. While many were just starting their day, I felt like I had already thrown in the towel.
“Mommy’s just feeling sad, sweetheart,” I replied.
“Why sad, Mom?” she inquired, gently patting my back with a kindness that I could barely reciprocate at that moment.
“I’m sad because my coffee is all gone,” I told her.
What I really felt was, “I’m overwhelmed. I can’t keep up with this motherhood gig anymore. I was, am, and will always be a terrible parent. Everything I do feels wrong. I’m not sure how I can face another day—let alone the rest of my life. This is hard. I’m hard on myself.”
Dramatic? Absolutely.
True? Not really.
Yet, in that moment, it felt all too real. It felt like I was the worst mom in the world, and I had a long list of reasons to support that feeling.
I was crying in front of my children, which surely couldn’t be healthy for them.
I had already raised my voice at my son around 81 times that morning because he seemed determined to scale the dining table.
I was at my wit’s end, repeating “Stop hitting your brother” until I felt like I might as well be living in a scene from Lord of the Flies.
My kids often had their meals picnic-style in front of Curious George because some days, the idea of getting them to eat while behaving at the table felt impossible.
I frequently locked myself in the bathroom for five minutes of solitude, wishing I could click my heels three times and return to a life where chaos wasn’t the norm.
My kids weren’t eating enough veggies.
They indulged in too many snacks.
They watched way too much TV.
I struggled with discipline and felt lost about how to engage with them throughout the day.
And the list could go on and on.
That morning, I was convinced I was a parenting disaster. However, later that night, while vacuuming what seemed like an entire box of Cheerios off the floor, a moment of clarity hit me.
I’m not a terrible parent. I’m just like everyone else.
Once I stopped drowning in tears, guilt, and self-doubt, I recalled blogs I’d read, anecdotes shared by friends, and books I’d managed to hold onto (before my kids decided to use them as art supplies). I remembered:
- Other moms yell at their kids too.
- Other moms lie awake at night, consumed by guilt.
- Other moms serve cereal for dinner and think it’s perfectly fine.
- Other moms have bathrooms that aren’t spotless and kitchens that might stick to the floor.
- Other moms sneak away to the closet for a moment of quiet.
- Other moms sometimes struggle to entertain their toddlers.
- Other moms hope desperately that their little ones will return to sleep after waking at 5 AM.
If all these women—friends and strangers—face similar challenges, then it’s not just me.
And if we’re all in this together, grappling with the same issues… then I’m not a bad parent. I’m simply normal.
What a relief!
If you’re seeking further insights on parenting or home insemination, check out our related blog posts, including one at Home Insemination Kit that offers valuable perspectives. Also, Make a Mom provides excellent resources, highlighting their expertise on this subject. For additional information, American Pregnancy is a fantastic resource for pregnancy and home insemination topics.
In summary, the journey of motherhood can be daunting, but it’s essential to recognize that we’re all in this together, sharing our struggles and experiences. Embracing our normalcy can lighten the load.