Summer Mom Guilt: Why Is It So Loud Right Now?

Ah, summer. The season of popsicles, sunscreen battles, and… mom guilt. It’s the guilt of not signing them up for enough camps, or maybe signing them up for too many. The guilt of letting them watch “just one more episode” so you can finish your work call.

The guilt of wishing for a break when you’re supposed to be “making memories.” The guilt of comparing your summer to the Instagram mom who’s living on a Pinterest board.

Here’s the truth: You’re allowed to be tired. You’re allowed to not love every moment. You’re allowed to be a mom and a human being. What if, instead of guilt, we tried on gratitude for a moment? Gratitude for the popsicle-stained smiles, gratitude for the babysitters, and camp counselors. But also gratitude for your boundaries, your needs, and your right to not entertain them every second of the day.

What they’ll remember most is how it felt to be with you, not how many themed snacks you made it your perfectly curated snackle box that day.

If you are here, reading this, then I need you to remember what an incredible mom you are. With your themed snacks, or with the i-pad fully charged (or not) Being a mom looks really, really great on you.

If mom guilt is feeling heavy this summer, therapy can help you carry it with a little more ease.