Super mom- we all think we know one. I'm sure when I say that phrase you immediately picture her in your mind. She's the one who always seems to have it together. Her kids are always perfectly dressed, they always behave, she always looks great, her house is spotless, her meals are always home cooked, etc... She may be a working mom, or a stay at homer, whichever it is, she always seems to be on her "A" game, always. We look at her and feel guilty about our own lumpy ponytails, the holes in our kid's jeans, the pizza we just popped in the oven. This guilt we feel in her presence is not her fault, it is a result of that word we all struggle with- comparison. We see what she does and think, "there is no way I could do all that, I just couldn't. She's amazing, I'm so drab".... You all have been there I am sure, at some point. Well, let me do a little myth busting for you. Super mom? She doesn't exist, period. I bet if you asked the "Super mom" in your life how she gets it all done in a day she would breathlessly assure you that she doesn't. The truth is, no one can do it all, something's gotta give. If you are an incredible cook, likely your house does not always look like the cover of a magazine. If you are a great housekeeper, your kids probably eat boxed food a bit more often. If you are a helpful mom, always involved with homework, volunteering, playing games, practicing sports with your kid; chances are maybe both your house and your dinner table suffer a little. As mom's we delude ourselves into thinking that we have to be able to be able to do it all, ALL the time, and look good doing it. I am here to tell you it is simply not possible. I don't know where the idea of super mom first originated (June Cleaver, Mrs. Cosby, at least Mrs. Brady had Alice:) but the idea of her is so ingrained in many mom's heads that we set the bar so high we can only fail. Even if, by some chance, you are able to keep your house spotless, your dinner always fresh/healthy, your kids clean and always in line, your husband happy, all of this while looking like Brooke Shields, something will break. That break will be you, because if you can manage to do all of that all the time- YOU will suffer. It is important to take some time for yourself, daily if you can manage it, and there simply aren't enough hours in the day. Even Wonder Woman, who had actual super powers, had to have an "alternate identity" to escape.
So today, I am kicking super mom to the curb. She can take a hike, I am tired of her being in my head making me feel guilty about what I don't get done in a day, rather than focusing on what I do do (teehee, just for you Paige:). Those of you who try to live up to the expectations in your head, at least the ones that are unrealistic, give them up. I am 100% certain that you are an awesome mom, wife, woman, don't set yourself up for failure by striving for the impossible. Take each day in stride, do what you can but always take the time to love on your kids, snuggle your hubby, read your book; even if that means dishes in the sink and laundry in the hamper. These are the things that make our lives special, the things that matter. The measure of our lives will not be tallied in wash loads and home cooked meals, I assure you. For any of you who may be a self proclaimed (even if it's in your own head:) "Super mom"- give yourself a break, take a minute to breathe, it's ok to do it. All of us have our areas of strength, our areas of weakness, every woman is different. Lets put that "C" word away, embrace ourselves and each other for who we are, not who we think we should be. Ultimately, I think we will find a little bit of super mom in all of us.
