Sadly, guilt will be on the plate of many women this Christmas. It’s like a disease that infects women all year long but especially at Christmas time.
It spreads because we get caught up thinking about all the things we SHOULD be doing instead of all the things that probably are not even ABLE to do.
All we have to do is look on Pinterest to see that other moms are doing way more than we are this time of year. They’re making everything from homemade Christmas cards and ornaments to cupcakes that look like they came out of a New York bakery!
And then there are the rest of us are just trying to make it to the store on time to grab Oreos for the school Christmas party. We do fancy it up by getting the red and green ones, that should count for something right?
OK, a few ways to inoculate yourself against mom guilt (these are like flu shots for mom guilt):
Stop comparing yourself to other moms. God made you the mom of YOUR kids. Because, YOU are the best mom for your kids.
Remember, Christmas is not about all the stuff! Let me ask you, how many of last year’s Christmas presents do your kids still enjoy today? Or for that matter, how many do they even REMEMBER?
Instead of the constant feeling of “I need to do more…” let’s give ourselves permission to feel: I am enough, and what I accomplished today was enough.
A perfectly clean house with bakery style treats is no fun when Mom is completely stressed out.
Instead of stuff defining our Christmas, let’s make a memory instead. Drive to see Christmas lights…sit down with a nativity set and talk about the first Christmas or bake a batch of messy, imperfect Christmas cookies while watching Elf.
Don’t let the disease of mom guilt ruin your family’s Christmas this year.
Celebrate the heart of Christmas which is that God came down to love us in spite of the hot mess that we are.
Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Taken from my “Real Moms of West Michigan” segment with Tommy and Brook on Star 105.7…
If you missed it you can listen to this segment here: Christmas Mom Guilt
You can listen to my ‘Real Moms of West Michigan’ segments on Star 105.7 with Tommy and Brook every Tuesday morning around 7:05 AM. If you are not in the West Michigan area you can listen on iHeart radio
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