Guilt

I sat down tonight after my last child was finally tucked in to bed. I looked around my house and started to get that sinking feeling. That ominous, ugly feeling of 'motherly guilt.' I looked around and noticed toys and books, stacked dishes, unfolded laundry, dirty bathrooms, etc etc. While browsing blogs on my phone during my first quite, alone moment of the day I started to think, 'Wow, how come I don't can food, or sew, or coupon, or teach my children some meaningful skill, or home school, or make my own baby food, or come up with awesome FHE lessons, or make great meals, or throw awesome parties, or or or." My 'motherly guilt' was starting to kick in hard! So young mother, what exactly HAVE you done all day, huh???

5am wake up call to begin my day: baby feeding, diaper changing, child comforting, breakfast making, clothing, washing, playing, story reading, homework doing, piano practicing, lunch/snack packing, house cleaning, dishes doing, school preparing, family scripture reading and praying, refereeing, lunch making, family feeding, child chauffeuring, parent volunteering, errand running, child picking upping, children snacking, niece(s) babysitting, dinner cooking, children feeding, children entertaining, bed time story reading, bed time prayers saying, bedtime putting (alone) 9pm.

I have successfully kept three young children fed, clothed, entertained, educated, and loved for another day. I didn't do it perfectly, but I did it. And they all went to bed knowing that their mother loves them - that's what I did today, so 'mother's guilt,' you can't claim me today because I am enough, I am mother!