These days, being a regular mom isn’t enough. Today’s moms are expected to be supermoms who can do it all. They’re expected to be the perfect mom, wife, daughter, friend and employee, and juggle everything without breaking a sweat while wearing a beautiful outfit with perfect hair and makeup.
It’s time for a reality check: just because women can do it all, it doesn’t mean they should have to do it all on their own. It’s impossible to do everything all the time without struggling or pushing your own needs and care to the back burner. A mom’s job isn’t to do it all or know how to do it all. It’s about utilizing the appropriate resources to do what’s most important for you and your family. For example, you might not have time to make gourmet dinners every night. But what you can do is make sure there’s a balanced meal on the table.
However, for many women, letting go of the idea of perfection is a challenge. Many moms will say that although it’s a struggle to do everything themselves, at least they know things are being handled. But this can lead to neglecting their own self-care. Moms often get up early, stay up late and scramble every hour in between. This can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.
You can be a great mom without running yourself ragged. Here are four tips to overcome the supermom myth:
- Reset your expectations – Instead of trying to cross off every item on your to-do list, prioritize what’s most important and focus on getting those things done. If you can’t get it all done today, remember – there’s always tomorrow.
- Make time for your self-care – To take care of your loved ones, you need to take care of yourself. This means setting aside time to get the care you need for your mind, body and soul. It’s also important to find healthy ways to manage your stress – small things such as meditating for 10 minutes every day or calling a friend to catch up or share a laugh can help.
- Focus on having quality interactions – Finding time to connect can be tough. Look for opportunities to have quality interactions with those your love, instead of worrying about how long you have together. For example, instead of feeling pressured to have hours of playtime with your kids, try to find 30 minutes of quality time where you can really focus on them. This also goes for maintaining friendships. You might only have 10 minutes to chat with a friend, but it can be meaningful if you make it a meaningful exchange.
- Utilize resources – It’s ok to ask for help. If you need help with potty training, ask your pediatrician, day care or other moms for advice. If you’re not a chef, try out one of those food services that sends you all the ingredients you need for a healthy meal. You can also lean on your supports. For example, ask your spouse to take the kids for some bonding time so you can focus on what you need to get done.
Edward-Elmhurst Health understands the struggles moms face when trying to provide the best care for their families. Our Healthy Driven blogs help you learn about current parenting trends as well as how to balance caring for yourself and your family. We also offer a variety of new mom support classes to help ease the transition into motherhood.
To learn more about Edward-Elmhurst Health parenting support classes, visit us online or call 630-527-6363.