Mommy guilt is a very real thing. Many mothers suffer from the guilt of leaving their baby when they have to take care of other priorities. There is such a shame and stigma attached to mothers not being able to take care of their children at all times.
In order to relieve working mom guilt you must do the following: Practice your schedule. Find something that inspires you. Talk to other working moms. Stay in contact with your little one. Enjoy your time together.
I remember the first time I had to leave my son. He was 8 weeks old. I left him with my mother while I went to an interview. As a new mom, all I could think about was how bad I felt for leaving him, how much he must miss me, and how terrible of a mother I must be for leaving him at such a young age. When I got back to pick him up, it was like I never left. I’m sure he could have cared less that I was gone for two hours.
Now my son is older and I still have times that I feel bad for leaving him when I have to go to work or I just need some “me time”. It is difficult to give your all to something when you have guilt lurking in the background. I wish I would have known ways to handle the stress of leaving, but now I do. Here are some tips to alleviate mommy guilt and get your sanity back!
Practice Your Schedule
The quickest way to feel that your new schedule is normal is to practice it over and over before you actually have to do it. If you have to get up at 6 o’ clock every morning to go to work; start a week before and get up everyday at 6 o’ clock. Get yourself and the baby ready as if you were going to work for the day.
You can even take it a step further and drop the child off at daycare or the care givers house. Doing this will allow you and the baby to get into a routine. After you’ve practiced it so many times, when the big day comes for you to go back to work, you won’t feel the guilt of leaving and you can focus on the task at hand.
Find Something That Inspires You
Before I had a baby, everyday on the way to work I would listen to a specific radio station because they would always talk about things that motivated me and got me in the right head space for the day.
Find something that motivates you to be a better person this could be a spiritual word, exercising, listening to music, or keeping a journal. Whatever keeps you focused on your goals will distract you from feeling guilty and feeling like you made a bad decision. When you are your best self internally, you will be a great employee externally.
Talk to Other Working Moms
There is no one who understands what your going through more than other moms who are going through the same thing. Reach out to co-workers that also have children. I am sure they went through the same woes at some point. They can be a great confidant to tell how your feeling and give you ways to get past the guilt.
This is very crucial in alleviating mommy guilt because it helps you feel like you’re not alone. When you are going through a hard time it is easy to feel like no one knows what you’re going through. It can seem like you are the only mom on the planet that feels that way; but you aren’t! Please talk to someone to get the feelings off your chest and stay positive while at work.
Stay In Contact While at Work
Now, this does not mean to call your caregiver 50 times a day wondering how many times your baby breathed since the last time you called.
Staying in contact simply means being concerned of his/her well being and calling or texting occasionally to put your mind at ease. There are also daycares and places that have cameras or pictures they send you where you can watch your child at your convenience.
This could also mean having a picture on hand so you feel like you have a piece of your little one with you at all times. Seeing them in a state of contentment will help you feel like you’re doing the right thing and remind you why you go to work everyday.
Enjoy the Time You Spend Together
This is my favorite one! Life is too short. Enjoy every moment you have to spend with your offspring. If we spend a little more time enjoying the moments we have with our children it will make the time away a little less difficult.
Play with your child, cuddle your newborn, sing them a lullaby; because tomorrow you’ll be working your 9 to 5 and wishing you could have got that last cuddle in before bed. It is okay to savor the moments and just stare at their cute little nose for hours because tomorrow you will rest assured that mommy guilt is no more.
I hope you enjoyed these tips! If you did, I’m sure you will enjoy my 5 Newborn Essentials I can’t get enough of! If you have other tips on how to alleviate mommy guilt drop them down below. I’d love to hear from you!
