On my first Mother’s Day, I was pregnant — 9 months, 2 days, 8 hours, and 37 seconds pregnant, but who was counting? While my swollen feet and I rested on the couch eating pregnancy-safe cheese, my husband handed me a Mother’s Day card. A nervous rush of excitement and fear took over as I ripped open the envelope. I couldn’t help but wonder how I’d feel a year from now. What would my first official Mother’s Day be like?
More from Mom.com: Let's Be Real, Every Day Should Be a Mother's Day
A day free of mom guilt
If you were to do an internet search on mom guilt, you’d find a recent poll that says 94% of all moms experience some kind of “parenting-related guilt” during their motherhood journey. Sure, the world will tell you math isn’t my strong suit, but this seems like a super high number.
My first year of mom-ing, I was definitely a member of the Mom Guilt Club more often than not, which made it hard to fully enjoy Mother’s Day. Guilt can be tough to let go of, and for this very reason, I’d tell myself to use this one day to let it go and dive into what brings me joy, guilt-free.
Appreciate all that I do for my family
For my son’s first year of life, I was in survival mode. While I remember taking time to soak up his firsts, like his first giggle and first words, I didn’t take the time to give myself a pat on the back for the stellar job I was doing.
Self-appreciation builds confidence and compassion, so I'd remind myself I'm doing a fabulous job at this whole mom-ing gig on my first Mother’s Day and every day.
