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5 Tips for Coping with Working Mom Guilt

It’s only normal for you to feel working mom guilt. We at Little Big World are here to assist you in overcoming your fleeting feelings of guilt as a working mother.

Blog summary:

When anything occurs that makes you feel guilty about being a working mother, you are said to have “working mom guilt.” If you are a working mom, you are familiar with the sickening feeling that comes with working mom guilt. However, this kind of guilt won’t keep you in a brain fog for very long if you don’t have the time or energy to do so. We at Little Big World are here to assist you in overcoming your fleeting feelings of guilt as a working mother.

If you are a working mom, you are familiar with the sickening feeling that comes with working mom guilt. You may get immobilised and have your thoughts diverted by it. However, this kind of guilt won’t keep you in a brain fog for very long if you don’t have the time or energy to do so.

What is the Working Mom Guilt?

When anything occurs that makes you feel guilty about being a working mother, you are said to have “working mom guilt.” For instance, you can feel bad if you leave your screaming child at day care or if you miss something at school because you were too preoccupied with work to remember.
There are moments when you have very excellent reasons to feel guilty, but not always. We at Little Big World are here to assist you in overcoming your fleeting feelings of guilt as a working mother.

5 tips for coping with Working Mom Guilt

Here are five strategies to help you get over your working mom guilt and resume loving your life:

  • Be kind to yourself.

    The first step in letting go of guilt is to resolve to cease criticising your actions and environment. When guilt grows into shame, it is extremely difficult to believe that you are a bad mom, worker, or friend all the time. Instead, keep in mind the rationale behind your decisions. Replace any “I feel horrible about __” thoughts with “I made that decision because ___” and keep going after that.

  • Quality > Quantity.

    We’ve dealt with parents who feel guilty about their parenting choices or their job hours for years – whether its at home or from office. Clarifying one’s values and objectives in life and then living in line with them is one of the most firmly rooted activities one can do.
    Include your kids in the activities you currently perform, such as doing housework, preparing meals, or walking the dog. Alternately, plan your weekends so that family time takes priority over running errands. Children often love doing “adult” activities such as cooking, or grocery shopping – these may also turn out to be great life lessons for them! Doing math while paying for the shopping, or talking about the origins of vegetables can be all it takes to make up for time lost over weekdays.

  • Request assistance.

    Asking for assistance is often one of the most difficult things for women to do. A working mother who tries to handle everything alone before understanding that this is simply difficult may be adding to her stress rather than seeking assistance. It takes practise to ask for aid, however once you take a courageous move in doing so, those around you will begin to reciprocate.
    You may find that your spouse, parents, in-laws, or even neighbours may be more than willing to pitch in for any support you require – whether it is baby-sitting or picking the kids from school or classes. In India, it is quite economical to find house help for cleaning, dusting and even cooking.

  • Don’t expect to be the supermom that the media portrays.

    The term ‘supermom’ has been around for a while. Researchers studying attachment have shown that for a parent-child relationship to be strong and secure, the parent must be emotionally present, soothe the kid, be sensitive to the child’s feelings, express joy upon seeing the child, and provide support. Or, to put it another way, they are providing for and maintaining a relationship with their child without compromising their own need or health.

    The standard needs to be lowered from the ideal mother who can do everything, who fulfils all of her obligations, and who is rewarded for her altruism towards the mom that takes back her personal lifestyle and looks after herself. Remember the fundamentals rather than adding to your stress. Recognize the relationship you can maintain with your kids by being competent enough to manage everything.

  • Unfollow people that are negative influences.

    A working parent might be upset after seeing other people post about their vacations, share pictures of their families, or announce their most recent job on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. The time you spend scrolling through social media in search of connection ought to uplift you. Unfollow someone or a group if you discover that their posts often make you feel depressed.
    Don’t try to compete with other mothers – what people portray on social media is often miles away from what they actually live through. You do not need to succumb to the pressures of creating the best craft project or fancy dress concept for your child.

    Finally, keep in mind that empathy and guilt are inextricably linked. You have empathy, caring, and concern for others around you if you feel guilty. Eliminating your guilt doesn’t imply that you aren’t a kind or loving mother. It implies that the guilt’s underlying empathy will become apparent. The ability to be compassionate might inspire you to engage with your profession and discover the joy of being a mom rather than making you feel stuck.

Conclusion

Working mother guilt is unavoidable. But as time passes, you’ll recover more quickly and the discomfort won’t be as terrible. You’ll get a sense of déjà vu as you go through daily life , with experiences. With all these strategies, you’ll be capable of overcoming guilt and be the best version of a working mom that you can afford to be.