Attitudes are contagious, make yours worth catching – Unknown.
Seems like there are loads of contagions out there at the moment and they all seem to make us feel down and downright yucky. Over the last month, I think at least one person in our household has been ill and finally it’s me 😦 We’re all mostly still chirpy and optimistic. Some days are harder than others. Some days you simply need to take some meds and fake it til you make it. On those days, I’m either loading up on probiotics and Vitamin C or I’m physically fine but emotionally and mentally forced to stop and make me-time a priority. Because, like most mums I know, it is not always a priority. We will happily drive around like lunatics to get from karate classes to violin lessons in time, but will not let the washing pile up so we can get to the gym or have a routine health check-up.
Every time I have asked one of my mum friends, why they haven’t taken the time for a bit of self-care, the answer has always been the same, “Oh, the kids….” or, “Oh, hubby is travelling” or, “….”. The details may vary but at the end of the justification, there is always something that we deem more relevant, important, worthwhile than ourselves. We shrug it off, pat ourselves on the back and applaud our martyrdom. I know, I’ve done it. It seems to give us bragging rights. It’s a badge of honour to crawl through life complaining about being tired or busy. Really? Why?
I call BS…it is not ok to be exhausted and blame your kids. It is not ok to feel isolated and blame your spouse for being away. It is not ok to neglect yourself and then lay the blame at someone else’s feet regardless of your well-meaning intentions. What has dawned on me the last while is two-fold; firstly, by neglecting your own well-being for that of your kids to the degree that many of us do, sets an example for them to follow. It will make them eventually question whether that is a sign of loving or caring for someone. If the person they love and admire the most in the world is always taking a back seat then maybe one day they too will need to do that. Becomes a bit of a vicious circle, doesn’t it?
Secondly, I believe it will teach them to externalise blame. They will hear you complain about being tired (because someone didn’t sleep) or that you really miss ladies’ night (because hubby is away) and doesn’t it set a pattern of, if something is wrong, it cannot possibly be my fault? This one particularly struck home because in our extended family we have someone who is exactly like that. They have been blaming someone or something else their entire lives. I’ve seen what the end product of that looks like and hell no, my kids will not be that.
So while I may not be able to prevent the boys from catching whatever latest bug is floating around our home as a result of my very violent sneezing, I can do my part to help them catch my attitude about myself. I can be more mindful of my own needs and there is almost always a way to make sure the entire family’s well-being is looked after. I can teach them that no matter how clichéd and sentimentally soppy it may sound, loving and caring for yourself is the first step in loving and caring for others.
I so agree with what you have written! I never use my children/husband as an excuse for ‘not’ doing something. If I don’t do something, it’s on me. Not on others.
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I think many moms do it without even realizing it – I will admit to being guilty of it more than once! Very happy to hear you’re not one of them!
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Thank you for the wake up call! I’ve become so good at ignoring my well-being 😦
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Love this Paula; this sounds like my life at the moment. Who am I kidding, most of the times?! So many lessons to learn here.
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I’m glad it resonated with you! This seems to be a lesson I re-learn on a daily basis!
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Such beautiful words Paula! I always like your writing but this one I loved! Thank you for reminding these things, every mother needs to hear this!
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😘 I’m so glad you enjoyed reading it! It is as much a reminder to myself as everyone else who may need it!
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Completely agree with this, took me a while to realise. My Mum still doesn’t seem to have realized and her martyrdom drives me mad, whether is for her kids or grandkids!! Must be a generational thing!
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It feels like it took me forever to get to this realisation – and now I just feel like I should have figured it out sooner!
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Such a lovely and true post! I definitely externalise my tiredness a lot!
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I totally agree! Been guilty of blaming “others” for not achieving anything when in fact at the end of the day I made the decision to not do something.
Totally catching this attitude of yours.
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Yay! Glad it made you stop and think, I get caught up in exactly the same cycle!
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Awesome article- while I’m not a mom myself yet, so I can’t really comprehend the level of work and commitment it entails, I do strongly believe that if you take care of yourself, you can be your best version for everyone around.
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Precisely. I think it applies to everyone, I’ve just noticed that it seems moms tend to fall into the trap of ignoring themselves that much more easily.
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Love this! Take your meds and fake it till you make it – hilarious!!! I try to change my attitude when I catch myself getting negative. I like the ole “I get to” instead of “I have to.” For example, “Well, I get to see how well my brakes work in bumper-to bumper traffic” instead of “I hate having to be stuck in this sucky traffic!” It’s all perspective and attitude!
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That’s awesome Vicki, I do exactly the same 🙂
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