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| Image Credit: Sasin Tipchai on Pixabay |
{This is a collaborative post}
Everybody
knows that being a mum is one of the hardest jobs there is, and many feel like
they are out of their depth. They think that the challenges they face every
single day are unique to them and that all of the other mums out there are
handling things a lot better than they are. But that isn’t true at all and the
reality is, it’s a steep learning curve for everybody and all mums face the
same set of challenges every single day. If you are feeling overwhelmed, have a
read through this list of some of the biggest challenges that mums face, and
know that you aren’t the only one.
Judgment From Other Mums
This
is a big problem and even though we don’t mean it, we can all be guilty of
judging people from time to time. When it comes to parenting choices, everybody
has to decide what they think is best for their own child, but this can lead to
a lot of judgment from other mums. Things like breastfeeding, for
example, can be very controversial and mums that choose not to might feel
judged. If you feel that you are constantly justifying your parenting choices,
you need to change the way you think. The truth is, there is no right way to do
things and if you are doing what you genuinely think is best for your child,
you’re doing enough and it doesn’t matter if other people don’t agree with your
parenting style.
Being Ignored
Kids
all go through those stages where they will ignore whatever you say, and it’s
so frustrating. A lot of mums worry that it’s their bad parenting and they
haven’t done enough to discipline their child, but that's not the case, kids
are just difficult sometimes. Check out this list of funny things
that mums say to their kids and you’ll realise that you aren’t the only one
that is constantly saying the same things over and over, only to have it fall
on deaf ears. It’s so frustrating, but you just have to keep going and
eventually, you will get through to them. They all grow up in the end!
Working Mum Guilt
If
you are working at the same time as raising kids, it’s very common to feel working mum guilt. People often feel guilty because they are missing
out on certain aspects of their child’s life while they are at work. They may
also feel guilty because they are not putting in 100% at work either. Wherever
you are, you’ll always feel like you’re missing out on something and you should
be putting more of your time into work or your family. Unfortunately, you can’t
do everything and if you want to have a career and a family, you will need to
learn to cut yourself some slack and accept that you have to split your time and just do your best.
Tiredness
Being
a parent is the hardest job there is because you don’t get to clock off. You
have to be there 24/7 to deal with whatever your children will throw at you. It
doesn’t matter if you’re sick or if you haven’t slept properly in days, you
still need to fulfil your parenting duties. That’s why tiredness is one of the biggest challenges that all mums face. This is especially
true if you are raising the kids on your own and you don’t have anybody else
there to take over when you need a break. But it’s important that you don’t try
to do everything on your own and you aren’t afraid to ask friends and family
for help if you need it. Taking some time for yourself every now and again will
help you to recharge your batteries so you don’t burn yourself out and you have
the energy to be the best parent that you can.
Watching Them Grow Up
Once
you have overcome all of the other challenges that come with being a parent,
there is one final challenge to face. Watching your kids grow up can be so hard
and a lot of parents are completely unprepared for it. When you start hitting
those milestones like sending them
to university or even watching them get married, and
you realise that they don’t rely on you for everything anymore, it can be quite
emotional. A lot of parents feel that they have lost their sense of
purpose in some ways, but you should see their independence as an opportunity
to start doing all of the things that you couldn’t do when they were
smaller.
When
you feel that things are getting too much for you and you are doubting your
skills as a mum, just remember that everybody faces the same challenges, and
you will get there. Keep going, you're doing a fabulous job!
