For any Moms out there going through a hard time, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for whatever weight you are carrying with you that should have been left a long time ago.

Extra hard day today with the kids? Snapped easier than you’re proud of? Forgive yourself.

Forgot to set something out in preparation for dinner? Forgive yourself.

Forgot to switch over the laundry and now you need to re wash the cycle? Forgive yourself.

Did not respond to a work email? A friends text message? Forgive yourself.

Had all intentions to go to that birthday party and yet didn’t make it? Forgive yourself.

Wanted a minute to sit down so you turned on Blippi? Forgive yourself.

Did you have to tell someone to not kiss your baby? You have nothing to be sorry for.

Did you tell someone today wasn’t a good day to come over? There is no reason to feel bad.

Did you leave your kids for a few hours with someone else who loves them so you could run a few errands without the extra hands? Go you!

Did you remove yourself from an environment that was not healthy so you could heal? I am so damn proud of you.

People always talk about forgiving others. Let’s acknowledge the power in forgiving ourselves. Carrying the weight of things can be such a heavy burden. Sometimes one you do not even recognize you’re holding. As a Mom, you have enough on your plate with the daily tasks of parenting. Then let’s add a household. A job. Yourself. The hormones. Stop burdening yourself with the weight of who society thinks you should be as a Mom. Forgive yourself when necessary and recognize when you have nothing to be apologetic about. Healthy communication, boundaries, standards… do not make you mean. In fact, you need those for your children and YOURSELF.  Only you know what’s best for you and as long as your children are loved, safe, and supported society doesn’t need to know anything else. It’s your life. Your parenting journey. Your journey. You. As a human. Let go of whatever invisible weight you are holding and whomever you think you need to be. Be you. Be it freely. And be damn proud. Because no matter how you do it or what you do… somebody will always have an opinion. Those opinions might be the heaviest, useless thing you’ve ever carried. Again. Let them go. And most importantly, do not ever be apologetic for taking care of YOU. Putting yourself first is not selfish. It’s self care. It’s self love. And it is a necessity to be present, and happy for and with your children. Do you want your children to learn to take care of themselves? Not showers, brushing teeth, and all those things… but how to feel their feelings and address them? How to stand up for themselves in a healthy manner? How to notice when their cup is overfilling and they need to take a step back? To learn the difference between what they want to do and what society says they should do?

If you’re responding with yes to those questions, then wanting the same for yourself is not selfish. It does not make you a bad Mom. It does not mean you are not making your children a priority. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Not only are you setting that expectation for them.. you’re showing them hooooooow to do it.

Go Mama, Go.