Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Feeling Relieved When the Kids Go Back to School or Daycare
You can miss your kids when they are away and still feel an enormous exhale when school or daycare resumes. Relief often…
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Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Wanting Bedtime to Come Sooner
You can love your children and still look at the clock at 6:12 p.m. hoping bedtime will arrive quickly. Wanting the day…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Enjoying Time Alone After Becoming a Mom
Sometimes the guilt is not that you left your children. It is that, once you are alone, you feel good. Enjoying silence,…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Not Missing Your Kids When You’re Away
You can spend a few hours or a night away from your children, feel completely fine, and then feel guilty because you…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Mom Guilt: Why Moms Feel Guilty Even When They Know They’re Doing Their Best
Mom guilt can show up even when there is nothing concrete to repair: working, resting, using childcare, setting a boundary or simply…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Needing a Break From Your Kids: Why It Happens and How to See It Differently
Needing a break from your kids does not mean you want to escape your family. Often what you need is a short…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Matrescence: Why Becoming a Mother Can Change Your Sense of Identity
Matrescence is a useful word for something many women notice after having a baby: motherhood does not simply add one new role.…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Loving Your Kids and Getting Bored Playing With Them Can Both Be True
Loving your kids and getting bored while playing with them can both be true. Interest in an activity is not a measure…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
The Pressure Not to Repeat Any of Your Parents’ Mistakes
Wanting to parent differently can be a powerful guide. But when every reaction that resembles your childhood becomes an alarm, “breaking cycles”…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
The Pressure to Apply Everything You Read About Parenting Correctly
Parenting information can give you useful language and tools. It can also make every hard moment feel like there was a correct…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
How to Stop Living Motherhood Like a Test You Have to Pass
When motherhood feels like an exam, every decision seems to have a correct answer and every mistake feels like a grade. Stepping…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
The Pressure to Be Fun, Organized, and Affectionate Every Day as a Mom
Modern motherhood asks for a lot of things that each require energy on their own: be present, stay organized, play, listen, cook,…