Let go of the Guilt
Let’s talk about guilt. So often as parents, we experience guilt for a variety of reasons. Guilt for having complicated feelings about your kids, guilt for sleeping in on the weekend, guilt for not getting your kids outside, guilt for swearing in front of your children. Guilt for, let’s face it, not being perfect. It’s time to let that go.
I will come back to this time and time again. We are only human. There is no switch that gets flipped when you become a parent or caregiver. There is no magic wand that erases all of our faults. So why do we hold ourselves to such high standards? We’ve been in a pandemic. If you live in or near Minneapolis, you’re aware that our public schools are currently shut down due to a strike, we are all of a sudden with our elementary aged kids all-day-every-day once again. It’s tax season, winter won’t end. Whatever the cause, life is often complicated, hard and stressful.
We are not going to be our best every day. Even more importantly our kids will see us screw up. Guess what, that’s okay and even good for them. Let kids see that it’s okay to embrace your human side. Embrace that we’re going to not always be our kindest/best selves. Show kids that you can love yourself even when you’re not at your best.
What guilt do you have today? For me, it’s gorgeous outside and my kids are watching TV. I don’t have the energy or desire to get them in their winter gear and then clean up the muddy mess when they come back inside. So, I’m taking the “easy/lazy” route. But when I sit back and reflect, it’s not the easy or lazy route, it’s the best route for my family and me today. It’s the route that will give me energy to play games and read more stories at bedtime. It’s the route that gives me time to write this post and then read a fulfilling book. It’s the route that will most fill my bucket, so in the evening, I have capacity to really engage with my kids, dance the silly dance, and then, when they’re in bed, I’ll be able to connect with my partner and be a better me.
Take a deep breath, what is your guilt about today? Name it. Exhale, and let it go. That guilt does nothing for you. Go, be a human, fill your bucket, and love yourself.
In Kindness,
Tasha
