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Mommy Guilt Peaks In June -- No Wonder I'm a Mess!

by Julie Ryan Evans on June 12, 2012 at 8:23 PM

guiltAfter nearly 13 years of Catholic school, I thought I was pretty familiar with guilt. Then came motherhood, and it blew anything those nuns could make me feel out of the water. Motherhood is one big guilt trip from the moment you find out you're pregnant (and start worrying about those martinis you knocked back last week) until ... well, I don't think it's ever going to stop.

This month, however, the guilt has been especially high, and now I know why. June is officially "The Crappiest Month When It Comes To ‘Mom Guilt’," or so says Shawna Cohen over at Mommyish. She doesn't have any proof per se, but I think she's onto something. With the end of the school year, and the beginning of summer, the mommy guilt floweth over.

Here are just 20 of the umpteen million things I've felt guilty about this month already ... and the month isn't even halfway over yet.

1. The end-of-year teacher gifts weren't personal enough.

2. I didn't attend my son's final field trip.

3. Damn, I'm bad at laundry. Not one of my son's white uniform shirts is salvageable for next year.

4. I should have volunteered more in my daughter's preschool classroom.

5. I haven't scheduled my children for enough stimulating activities this summer.

6. Oh god, have I've over scheduled my children?

7. They're watching too much television.

8. I have raised my voice/lost it way too many times with them, and they've only been out of school a couple of weeks.

9. I don't play enough with them.

10. I'm not sure when their last baths were. (Chlorine from the pool counts for something, right?)

11. We're eating takeout again! 

12. I work too much.

13. I still haven't taught my son how to tie his shoes.

14. They're not getting enough Vitamin D and sunshine.

15. When will I ever learn to apply sunscreen to them EVERYWHERE?

16. We haven't even started all of those summer learning packets the school sent home. I may have lost them.

17. I shouldn't even consider feigning sickness so I can finish "50 Shades of Grey," right?

18. I let them spend too much time on the iPad/iPhone/Wii. Their brains are turning to mush.

19. We're not soaking up enough summer fun and memories; they're childhoods won't be complete!

20. I really spend too much time worrying.

Do you find that guilt runs particularly high this time of the year? What do you feel most guilty about?

 

 Image via durera_toujours/Flickr

 

Filed Under: activities, summer break

Comments

14
  • butte...
    --

    butterflyfreak

    June 12, 2012 at 8:38 PM

    Damn, girl, go take a shot and chill out! Sheesh, just let the kids have fun and enjoy their summer break and, gee, here's a thought HAVE FUN YOURSELF! Your kids won't be little forever and before you know it, THEY'LL be the ones working in the summer, trying to make some extra cash. So enjoy them while you've got them and don't sweat it.


  • April...
    -- Facebook comment from

    April Daniels Hussar

    June 12, 2012 at 8:45 PM
    So true!! And that comment above just makes more guilt!
  • Booshy
    --

    Booshy

    June 12, 2012 at 9:26 PM
    Wow it's nice to knOw I'm not the only one :)
  • Tiffany
    -- Nonmember comment from

    Tiffany

    June 12, 2012 at 9:28 PM
    School has only been out a week and i've raised my voice, used time-outs more times than i care to count, and we've eaten out twice...but when i think about how the baby will be in preschool next year and i won't have them underfoot i feel guilty and wish that time would slow down. At least until i hear "Mom, tell him to stop looking at me!" for the fifteenth time in an hour.
  • Conni...
    -- Facebook comment from

    Connie L Strban

    June 12, 2012 at 9:40 PM
    As a Mom with grown kids, I gotta tell you - you have it all wrong! learn to switch and put the guilt on the kids!Ask my 3 - they'll tell you I'm a master at it!!
  • sunny...
    --

    sunnytxmom

    June 12, 2012 at 10:11 PM
    Ahhh! The darn summer packet from school is lost somewhere in my wreck of a house! Lol!
  • Ladyg...
    -- Nonmember comment from

    Ladygoogoogaga

    June 12, 2012 at 10:53 PM
    Yes to all of the above, and yes chlorine counts as a shower!!!!!
  • Cari...
    -- Facebook comment from

    Cari Dato

    June 13, 2012 at 2:03 AM

    It's okay. I haven't taught my son to tie his shoes or ride his bike (he's 5), all (4 of) my kids still drink out of sippy cups, and I NEVER bathe them more than 4 times a week. 


  • bella...
    --

    bella_grace

    June 13, 2012 at 3:28 AM
    I quit worrying a long time ago about what others thought I should be doing and just enjoyed my kids and being a mom. Maybe I don't teach them everything I should but they know they are loved and my number one priority always.
  • Jenny...
    --

    JennyG0929

    June 13, 2012 at 9:02 AM

    As long as the kids are having fun this summer, that's what its all about!


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