Welcome to Mom Motivation Mondays where weekly contributing writers share their motherhood experiences to encourage you to find the joy in being a mom.

{This week: Post by Jaimi}

Stop the Mom Guilt! I am immune to mom guilt-I do not have it and I want to share with you why so you can get rid of it too.

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I get that many of you have deep mom guilt. This guilt about not finding a perfect balance every day, not being able to find joy in being a mom when the going gets tough.

I understand. I have been in the muck and mud of tough moments lately.

They don’t make me feel like a bad mom, though. I am immune to mom guilt. I am sure of it. When I talk to moms who think they are doing it all wrong, I feel none of that.

I think many moms need to get rid of the mom guilt mindset too!

So many moms feel they are doing this parenting thing wrong. They really feel in the hard moments that they are not parenting in the right way.

I am not the perfect momnot at all. We don’t have to be perfect to feel that we are doing our best.

There are reasons why I have no mom guilt. I want to share them with you so you can become immune to mom guilt too.

7 Reasons Why I Don’t Have Mom Guilt

I learned to be a mom –

I mentioned before that my mom was a great example of finding balance in motherhood. She worked outside of the home part time and stayed home with us full-time. How? Working the night shift.

The beauty of this situation was that I spent the bulk of my youth with my mom, all day every day. I watched her parent my younger brother. I experienced how she handled parenting me from sun up to bedtime.

Those experiences taught me that parenting was hard work. It also taught me that it was worth being called a full-time job.

I saw good and bad moments of parenting. Challenges of working and staying home. What juggling kids, a home, a job and a marriage looked like.

My definition of motherhood definitely was not crafted by tv shows and magazines. I had a real motherhood example. I entered motherhood knowing it was not going to be pristine and perfect.

Although, I think my mom was a perfect mom-for me. The more time we spend with our kids, the more chances we give them to see parenting. They will see how to be a parent: the good, the bad and the un-showered ugly.

My mom did not have mom guilt-

I talk to my parents regularly about their parenting choices. Often I ask them what they did if I can’t remember. We talk about why I choose to do some things differently.

I don’t think I need to figure it all out on my own. I ask for their thoughts and advice-more when I was a new mom.

No matter what the topic, my parents are always assured that they made the choices they needed to at the time. Yeah, maybe hindsight is clear. But the problem is we don’t get to look at our situation in the future. We are dealing with problem-solving today!

I learned from talking to my parents that not every choice I make as a mom will seem like the perfect one. In 20 years’ time, maybe many that I thought were terrible, will turn out to be the best. But, I am parenting today with today’s knowledge.

That is all any of us can do. That means we are doing our best. No guilt.

I refuse to let my health suffer-

Diagnosed with a chronic illness as a child, when other girls my age were starting to get interested in boys, I was trying to keep track of which dose of pills were due. There is a no “BS” approach to life when your life is taken completely out of your hands-especially at an early age.

Health is more valuable than personal glory. I will not push myself to a point of ruining my health to do more (buy more) for my kids.

I know I have enough challenge balancing life at home now that the idea of adding a full-time job to my load is an insane idea. I don’t feel like I need to do more-or have more money- than I already do because the risk to my health of taking on too much stress is not a path I care to travel.

Plus, working at home is an option.

So many work at home options-

I know the number one reason many moms have mom guilt is due to money. They view the money their husband earns as his and feel like they have not right to it.

I understand this view, but you have to take stock of what you do all day. Your work is not paid, and you have to think of his money as your money too. If you just can’t get there, try working at home.

When I became a SAHM, I had no desire to be a work at home blogging mom. Not one iota of interest in working at home.

Now, 4 years into a blog that does make money, having shared resources like the huge collection of Work at Home Resources in the Complete Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms, I know any mom can work at home.

There are options. Working at home is completely within reach.

Routines and Schedules-

There is a balance that is hard to achieve as a mom: feeling productive and giving your children the right amount of attention. Enjoy the years while your children are young by setting up a routine or schedule to keep the day organized and intentional. Some moms need this more than others and that is ok.

With a flexible routine or schedule for moms, you will always know what is coming next. That helps you schedule in your cleaning and meal planning.

You won’t have guilt from thinking you are not using your day to the fullest. Routines and schedules for stay-at-home moms are important whether you like a flexible routine or a structured schedule. I share some of my weekly routine here.

Find resources for implementing routines and schedules in your home. Printables and suggested schedules make it so easy!

Activities with the kids at home-

I cannot emphasize enough how easy it is to use the activities I share on the blog. Activities for infants, activities for toddlers, activities for preschool, and activities for school age kids are here for you for free. They can be homeschool resources, or after school supplementary lessons.

Whether you are on winter break or summer break, they are easy to set up and fun for the kids while teaching them important academic and social skills. If you feel guilty as a SAHM for not knowing what to do with your child all day, you have a resource here!

Pick one to make today at naptime or after the kids go to bed, then introduce it during your normal active time tomorrow. You can use the same activity over and over again.

I keep all the activities I make as long as they are in good condition. I store them in ziplock bags and place the bags into storage cubes.

The kids know where their learning games are and the younger ones get to try them as they grow. I have prepared my kids for kindergarten with this approach and I have no guilt because I am maximizing my time as a SAHM.


If you are unsure how to teach your children, it really is not complicated. These how to teach your child guides are free for subscribers. 


Faith-

I cannot say it enough. If you believe motherhood is a calling you will be able to face it each day as your full time job at home. You will see the joy more clearly even at the end of the hard days. You will recognize the impact you have on your children in small and big ways.

Faith in God is not a means to an end-I don’t believe in God to help me feel good. I actually believe because I can’t live any other way. I have been called to it, pulled in and I can’t shake it.

And you know what, it helps me keep the mom guilt away and keep my focus on my family.

Every single day I remember Jesus’ life and work. I am not saving the world, but I am sacrificing for my family. I provide everyone-even my husband-consistency in an inconsistent and confusing world.

My kids know I am here for them. My husband knows I will wait for him no matter how long he is away for work. I don’t feel I am giving up too much because Jesus gave up more than I ever could.

My faith fuels me. I told you that in my welcome video.

I can’t do all of this-be a SAHM, be a wife, blog about finding joy in motherhood, and hope that I can help you find joy in being a SAHM – without my faith. I want to give up without faith. Giving all that up is just not an option.

No more MOM GUILT! Get rid of it with these 7 tips from a stay-at-home mom who does not have mom guilt about any parenting choices.

You can be Mom-Guilt-Free too. It is possible. Figure out what part of being a mom is the hardest for you and then focus on the 7 tips I shared above to find what tip will allow you to release the guilt from your life.

You don’t need it. It doesn’t make you a better mom.

If all else fails, if you can’t get rid of the guilt, by setting an example of a mom who finds joy in motherhood, you will be teaching your daughters and sons to reject feeling guilty and latch on to contentment.

How do you feel about this mom guilt thing? Is it a struggle for you or do you stay focused on gratitude?