This Mother’s Day I want to talk about something a little taboo, something people don’t like to admit but I’m all about keeping it real. So, let’s chat about Mum Guilt. Is there a worse feeling in the world? Every mum has had it and believe me, I’ve had it a lot. There’s always so much to remember and kids come with so much stuff. Not just physical tat but emotional baggage too.
I am always forgetting to order school dinners, or turning up to school on a teacher training day, sponging spaghetti sauce out of uniform because I’ve not washed any shirts for a few days, or forgotten to bake cakes for the PTA cake sale and made a mad dash to the shop at the eleventh hour.
Then there’s the homework, don’t get me started on homework! The sheer volume of it overwhelms me as a 30-something year old woman who works full-time, but then there’s the difficulty of some of the tasks...anyone else Google everything?
Perhaps the worst example of my Mum Guilt, the pièce de résistance, was when I didn’t realise my daughter’s passport had expired until three days before we were due to fly. How do you tell a nine year old that the inflatable flamingos you had bought months before to fill the villa’s pool, may not ever enjoy the Mediterranean sun they were destined for?! Urgh. I can’t even put into words the disappointment, but in this instance I’ve never been so grateful for Mum Guilt. It actually saved the (holi)day as I did everything possible (which initially seemed impossible) to get those flamingos (and child) out to the sunshine. With a lot of tears to various officials we would soon be on our way to salvage half the holiday.
I could literally talk about my maternal failings all day long but I think Mum Guilt needs to be recognised positively, because it shows we care enough. We are all perfectly imperfect, and that’s more than ok.
So, whether you recognise Mum Guilt in yourself or your own mum, celebrate it this Mother’s Day because we’re all just doing our best. I’d personally love to receive a bouquet of flowers or some treats as a little nod to say ‘you’re doing alright mum’.
The Guiltiest of Mums xx
