5 Ways you think you're failing at motherhood but aren't

Moms are their own worst critic. Sometimes, they fail to give themselves credit for all of the hard work they put into raising their kids.

Often, they'll label certain aspects of their experience as a mother as a failure. Well, that's not what Mother's Day weekend is about.

Mother's Day is meant to commemorate moms and the amazing jobs they do every single day of the year...and that's exactly what we aim to do.

It's normal for a mom to experience a bit of self-doubt. After all, being a mom is a tough job, but there's no reason why a mom should ever tell herself that she's "failing" at motherhood.

Abby Weinstein, a blogger for BabyCenter.com, recently started a thread called "You are NOT a failure!!!" with the intention of encouraging moms to be confident and proud of their work!

We've taken a number of topics from the thread and constructed a list to show moms that you are definitely NOT failing at motherhood, in spite of what you might think.

Take a look and see how you may think you're failing, but you're actually not!

You are NOT failing if you had trouble conceiving

Moms who initially had trouble conceiving are hard on themselves. They tend to think that they've done something wrong, or that the problem is solely their fault. That's not the case at all.

If you've found a way to overcome the adversity and have kids (through any means) then you are resourceful, resilient, and diligent. A failure would simply give up. You found a way to persevere.

You are NOT failing if you feel resentment for your baby

Believe it or not, feelings of resentment for your spouse, family, and even your baby are completely normal.

Just because you've had feelings like this, doesn't mean you really feel that way, and it does NOT mean you're failing at motherhood. It simply means that you're stressed and exhausted.

You are NOT failing if your baby cries constantly or can't sleep

Moms who consider themselves failures for this, are simply not being fair to themselves. Babies are almost completely inconsolable at a young age, and as a result, have trouble sleeping.

Every mom goes through the same problem of getting their child to stop crying or to get some sleep. You're NOT failing at motherhood for going through the same struggle. If anything, you've gained patience and discipline.

You are NOT failing if your baby doesn't sleep in a crib

Sometimes getting your baby to sleep in one specific spot can be impossible. Just because you let your child sleep wherever they feel comfortable does NOT mean you're failing.

All that it means is that you're willing to do anything to make sure your baby (and yourself in most cases) is well rested and comfortable.

You are NOT failing if you couldn't breastfeed and switched to bottles

Breastfeeding isn't something that all moms are capable of doing. There are many reasons why, and tons of factors at play. So, there's absolutely no reason why a mom should say she's failing at motherhood for switching her baby to bottle feeding.

This simply means that you're willing to make sacrifices, and try something new to ensure that your baby is properly nourished. If anything, you should be proud that you're going the extra mile to provide for your baby.

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Written by

Santiago Santa Cruz

English