What are we requiring of our moms? Are we requiring them to simply keep their children alive or are we expecting them to build perfect little people? As a society we have changed the amount of pressure we put on our mothers to raise the next generation.
We used to expect a village to raise a child, but now we are simply expecting our mothers to take all of these roles. We expect her to be a restaurant cook, a fashion designer, an expert photographer, a school teacher and a perfect disipliner. What amplifies this problem is comparison over social media.
Pinterest, Instagram and mommy blogs have been telling moms how they are failing their children. This comes out as direct as telling mothers they have to breastfeed to subtle pressures such as their friends sharing photos of cute new clothes they just bought their kids.
There are so many great ideas on Pinterest about what you can make for your kids and what activities you can do together. Unfortunately, Pinterest crafts are easier "pinned" than actually done. We judge our creative talent on how many crafts we have done well and feel like if we were only a little more creative this would be easier.
We all have people we follow on Instagram just so we can see what they are doing with their life. Their lives always look so put together and nothing seems to go wrong for them. We like every picture they post and question how we can get our life to look like theirs.
It's too much
Quite honestly it's just too much! This is when moms get depressed or start to withdraw from their kids, and that's a real problem. They see how great others are and can only see their own inadequacies. Moms feel like they are failing, but in reality, it's society that's failing them. Society is telling them to be more and do more rather than celebrating what they are actually accomplishing.
What moms really need to hear
You are not failing! The time you spend with your children means more to them than you know. They can feel your love. They can see you are trying. And they want you to succeed. Don't feel like you have to be the only person in the village. It's OK to get help from others to teach your children.
Moms, please know you are doing a good job. You are taking care of your kids. You are there for them. We appreciate you and all you're doing to raise the next generation.
