Moms: You deserve to be fully supported

I haven’t met many mothers that would say they feel fully supported. Most mothers are in the midst of a challenging juggle and are striving yet often struggling to maintain balance. It’s such a common problem that we have normalized the anxiety so many women feel.

What strikes me most is how much pressure women feel to do it all. We tend to compare ourselves to our perception about how other mothers are managing and often don’t seek the support we truly need. Women have so much inner judgment about the very notion of needing support. Too many mothers see asking for help as a sign of weakness. I’ve come to see it as a sign of intelligence!

We can’t give from an empty cup. Mothers know this truth but often feel it’s selfish to leave their children any more than they absolutely have to do work.

You don’t have to be working to ask for support. It is perfectly okay; in fact, it’s sensible to ask for support so that you can take care of yourself. I was so happy last week when a friend asked me if she could drop her child off at my house early so she could go to yoga. “Yes, excellent, go”. 

Parenting in a taxing job that never ends. It’s rewarding too, don’t get me wrong, but in order to have energy to stay present with our children for the long haul, we need to take breaks and nourish ourselves.

Most people would agree that it takes a village to raise a child only we don’t live in villages anymore. So we have to express and assert our need for support because it often doesn’t happen in the simple flow of life.

Take a look inward and consider whether you have any beliefs in the way of asking for help? If you do, you are not alone. If you share your hesitations in the comments, you might just free up another mom to realize she is not alone in this ‘do-it-yourself’ struggle.