Being a mom is hard. There are so many things that you need to take care of for you and your kid(s), and looking after one person is difficult enough. The thing that you have got to try and remember as much as you can when you’re a mom is that your best is enough, no matter what you see on social media. Yes, some people only feed their kids organic foods, but they are going to struggle in other areas. Just because you feed your kid pizza from time to time doesn’t make you a bad parent, fed is always best. This is just an example of the way that people compare, but there is more that you need to think about.
In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should be doing to the best of your ability as a mom, even when it’s hard. And we know it’s hard. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
Balance Your Career And Kids
The first thing that you are going to need to do is balance your career and your kids. This can be a tough one, especially if you work in an office and not from home, but we promise that it can be done. If you enjoy working, or if you need to work in order to make an income to support your family, there are ways that you can balance the two without feeling like you’re being spread too thin. One of the best things that we think that you should do here is make sure that you are leaving your work at work as much as you can. If you need to go through a few more things when your kids are in bed, you can, but this is eating into the time that you should have for yourself.
The last thing that you want is for your kids to grow up believing that your career was more important than them, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t have one. Just make sure that you are not constantly working when they are around, and you’re not constantly letting them down due to work. There are going to be times where this has to happen, but as long as you are there more than you’re not, that’s what they are going to remember.
Make Yourself A Budget
When you are a parent, one of the best things that you can do for yourself is to budget to the best of your ability. Look at the money that you are getting into the household each month, and then make a list of all of the money that you have to pay out. This is going to need to include your mortgage or rent payments, all of your bills such as your electric, life insurance, phone bill etc., any money that you pay out on a monthly basis and whatever else you know needs to be paid. Ensure that there is enough to pay all of these things, and if there isn’t then you need to work out what can wait a little while longer.
Sometimes it’s going to be tough to make ends meet, and sometimes you’re not going to struggle at all, but as long as you keep on top of it as much as you can and contact companies where necessary, this is what is going to matter the most. Of course, you should also be updating your budget regularly to reflect any changes in your financial situation, otherwise your budget won’t be accurate and then it’s pointless having one.
Climb Out Of Debt If Needed
Are you in debt? A lot of people are and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes life happens, we end up in debt when we never meant to and getting out can be a massive pain. But, it’s also what’s best for you so it might be worth starting to work towards that. Getting out of debt doesn’t have to be massively difficult as long as you budget for this in your money. For example, the best thing that we can recommend you do is call the people that you owe money to and start by setting up a payment plan. Explain to them the financial situation that you have found yourself in, let them know how much you can afford to pay them per month, and then see if they will accept this.
What you want to keep in mind is that these agencies just want their money back, so if you approach them and offer to pay, even if it’s in installments, they are going to appreciate this rather than having to chase you.
Show Up For Your Kids
We also want to mention how important it is that you are showing up for your kids. A lot of parents think that their kids are going to remember the things that you got for them, or the designer brands that they had, but this is not going to be the case. More than anything, your kids are going to remember who showed up for them when there was a sports match that they wanted you there for. They are going to remember who was on the sidelines cheering them on. They are going to remember the person that was there for them everyday when they needed someone to talk to or simply a hug to make them feel better.
No matter what anyone in the world says, the best thing that you can do for your kids is to show up for them. Be their constant, and don’t let them down unless it is absolutely 100% necessary. We promise you that this is going to yield much better results than if you were just trying to buy them all of the time.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health
As a mom, your mental health can decline and sometimes it might end up feeling like nobody in the world cares about how you are feeling. We can assure you that this is not the case at all, and that your mental health matters just as much as anyone else’s does. You need to be giving yourself that downtime at the end of the day to destress, even if this means that you are taking an extra hour when you would normally be sleeping. Sleep is important, but so is having that downtime to yourself where you can just relax.
We also want to point out that you need to be talking about how you are feeling. We assure you that all of your feelings are pretty normal, but that doesn’t mean that you should have to face these things alone. Instead of allowing this to happen, you should be speaking to the people that love you, or a professional depending on what you think that you need at any given time. Your mental health matters, and you should never try to convince yourself otherwise.
Ask For Help When You Need It
We also want to say that you should be asking for help when you need it. This kind of ties into the last section where we talked about mental health, but it can also be a completely separate thing. Asking for help when you need it is not a sign of weakness, and needing help is not a sign of weakness like some people seem to believe. In fact, being able to say that you need help is a sign of a really strong person as you are admitting that you cannot do this on your own. But you shouldn’t have to, and you should be able to lean on those around you, asking them to give you a helping hand at the times where you need it.
Trust Your Gut Instinct
The last thing that we want to drop into this article is that you should always trust your gut instinct. As a parent, you are the one who knows best. You are the one who knows your kid and you know yourself, and your gut is telling you something for a reason. A lot of people tell you to ignore your gut which is difficult on its own, but when you’re a mom it’s even harder. Don’t do it. Make sure that you listen to what your gut is telling you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Hopefully, you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you need to try and do to the best of your ability when you are a mom. Being a mom is hard, nobody is disputing that, but you are doing a great job even when it doesn’t feel like it. You are doing a job that so many do, but so many struggle with from time to time, and that is completely okay, we promise. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you manage to do all of these things to the best of your ability going forward, and that things get a little easier for you at some point along the way.
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