When it comes to parenting there are many moments of feeling like you are failing. There are also several moments of joy and feeling like you are winning. In my podcast, The Informed Mom Podcast, my cohost and I comment on this in every episode because it’s important to celebrate not only the good things but also the failures. After all, we are all going through something.
If you take a step back in moments of tension with your kids, maybe the tension is there as a result of what you are feeling or what you can’t get done while caring for your kids. Or it’s simply the repetitiveness and simplicity of conversation that can get incredibly boring. Whatever the difficulty may be, you’re allowed to feel frustrated. My son asks me: “Mommy, what is frustrating you?” And then we talk about it. I try to take deep breaths with him and take breaks myself to show him how to also calm down in difficult moments.
We ultimately want what is best for our kids and it can be hard to offer that at all times. Life is demanding, kids are demanding, and we don’t always cope in the ways we are most proud of. When I hear other moms talk about their guilt with parenting or providing for their kids, I just want them to see how normal it is and that it’s ok to not be on it all the time.
So here are some tips for celebrating the ups and downs in your home.
- Talk about the wins and fails
- Model positive ways to cope
- If you cope poorly, model how to recover
- Slow down your days and give yourself more time
- Be kind to yourself
- Get some support
- Make sure your needs are being met
- Get some rest
- Move your body
- Have fun with your kids
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Angie Rosenberg is a proud mama to Wynter and wife to Marc Rosenberg, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Music Therapist (MT-BC), and Health Mentor located in Encinitas, California. She empowers moms after having a baby to reconnect with themselves. She works with moms to rediscover their identity by focusing on personal goals, maintaining a healthy mindset, setting boundaries, listening and responding to the body’s signals, and balancing their newfound sense of purpose.
