The other day, I was telling my mom about how intense the days are. “I remember!” she replied. “When the three of you were little, I used to look forward to putting you to bed to finally get some ‘me’ time and relax.”
She paused for a second and quickly added: “I loved you, of course, and you were great kids! It’s just that… you know.”
“I know you love us,” I replied. “There is nothing wrong with needing ‘me’ time. I feel the same with Mark. Sometimes, I just need to be alone.”
I have a great relationship with my parents and my family in general. We were (and still are!) loved and my parents raised three happy and healthy kids. I’m lucky, really. I mean, I’m sure our family is dysfunctional on some level—every single family is—but I never doubted my parents’ love for us and they are always here when we need it.
So why does my mother, almost 30 years after giving birth to me, still seems to feel bad about needing some “me” time when we were young? Why does she need to sound apologetic?
Goddamn guilt. That’s what it is.
I know where she comes from now. I feel the same.
Some days, Mark is inexplicably cranky, needy or fussy and I can’t help feeling like a failure. If I snap or can’t fix whatever is wrong in a timely manner, I even downgrade myself to the “pretty shitty human being” level.
“Surely, other mothers have things under control,” I sigh. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t devote all my time to him and just put my own needs aside, you know, for the next twenty years or so?”
This kind of thinking is usually followed by big sobs and an overwhelming feeling that 1) I just can’t take it anymore 2) I’m a complete failure as a mother and as a person 3) I’m doing everything wrong.
I’m a mother and I chose to be. I shouldn’t need to pee, eat, sleep, wax my legs, go out for a coffee or enjoy a hug with Feng. I shouldn’t need to relax alone and I certainly shouldn’t complain about having to hold Mark and cuddle with him. I should be entirely devoted to this little 65-centimetre-long creature. Because, as the world likes to remind me, “they grow up sooo fast…!” and “soon he won’t be needing mommy anymore!”
Will Mark remember the day when, exhausted and stressed, I didn’t burp him well and he had hiccup for twenty minutes? Will he blame me for speeding up yet another feeding because I hadn’t had dinner yet and was hungry? Will he develop an unhealthy relationship with clothes shopping because I didn’t change yet another milk-stained pyjama fast enough? Will he be a sociopath because I didn’t smile back enough to him the nights I was tired? Will he resent me because I handed him to Feng to be able to get some work done?
I told Feng about the gigantic glaring red “FAIL” button in my head that blinks each time I feel I didn’t do enough.
He said I was crazy. “Why are you being so hard on yourself?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I wish I could… be a better mother. A better partner. A better person.”
“He’s fine! We are doing fine! Look, he is smiling.”
Damn kid was grinning. It made me cry even louder. I felt guilty for feeling guilty.
Why do we, women, feel guilty all the time?
I can see plenty of women around me burying their head in shame when they really shouldn’t. Those who left unhealthy relationships and yet blame themselves for not being “good enough” when the guy was clearly a huge jerk. Those who are feeling the pressure to conceive and feel guilty because it doesn’t happen fast enough or easily enough. Those who manage to have a career and a family and yet think they aren’t doing enough even though they are Wonder Women.
To each and every single one of them, I want to say, “good job! You are a great person and I admire you.” But somehow, a lot of women don’t hear the praise and focus on the negative, the “should have” or “could have.”
Why are we being so hard on ourselves?
I don’t know. I wish we could shake off the ever-present guilt feeling and hug each other. Because really, we are doing the best we can—and we are doing pretty damn good.
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Group hug everyone! LOL
Yay! 🙂
Have you heard the words “every mother’s middle name is GUILT” ? Now you know… (welcome to my world) 🙂
I hear you!
I guess I’ll understand this feeling better when I become a mother. But being a mother is only a part of who you are, you are still a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend…
Good luck, Mark looks lovely, you must be doing a good job!
Thank you! I don’t believe in the “you will see when you have kids yourself” belief and I think your comment is wise 😉
Il grandit vite ton ti loup! 🙂
C’est le grand air canadien 😉
Yo Zhu….don’t worry it is all maternal instinct and I am always feeling guilty for travelling all the time because of my work. I feel guilty for going out with my girlfriends sometimes but you know what, we really need some ‘ME’ time to re-charge so that we can take care of our loved ones better.
I remembered my previous trip to Toronto..I was so guilty half way around the globe for seminar and couldnt help feeling guilty as usual and I confided in my new Canadian friend, Terry. She is now my best Canadian buddy….I told her about feeling sad and guilty and you now what Zhu? She gave me the best advice ever and I want to share this with you 😀
She says that at any one time I am not with my daugthers, they will learn to make decision for themselves and be independent. I knew it was right because if I am always around, I took care of them and make decision. I didn’t let them grow.
I hope that when Mark is much older, you will have more ME time 😀
Take care Zhu and enjoy motherhood 😀
Luv you much 😀
Looks like you raised a wonderful family while balancing work, kid-duties and “Shionge-time”, so I trust you and value your advice 🙂 Thank you!
Aww, your son is so frickin’ adorable! I love that photo!
Anyways, you are right mothers and women in general should stop being so hard on themselves. We may not always be appreciated but most of us do the best we can and should be proud.:)
Amen to that! Do you have kids or not yet? We are the same age I think (I’m turning 30 next month). Not that there is a “right” age to have kids, mind you! 😆 Just curious 😉
Is that “guilt feeling” mostly about babies or is it more general? Personally I think it’s triggered by society. Of course you are supposed to be there for your baby, your husband, the cranky neighbor and god knows who else, right? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting some alone time. I don’t have kids, but I am aware how important it is to have some time for yourself. If you constantly feel restrained it certainly isn’t going to make you feel any better, which in turn will make you blame it on Mark one day.
I remember a baby birthday I once attended… everyone was all excited about the kid while the mother was sitting in a corner, all exhausted after a year of constantly being a mother. This can’t be healthy. Instead of bringing yet another stupid plastic toy, someone should take care of the kid for a day and give the parents some time to do something else. I think this would be the greatest gift for the whole family.
I agree, I think that guilt feeling is triggered by society. I know it… and yet I can’t help feeling guilty if I don’t multitask, succeed, have the perfect body, the perfect life and all.