Our First World Problem

Sometimes it's easy to get absorbed in the idea that you're not healthy enough because you have a larger physique. Guess what? This problem is one that is only worried about in the first world. Can we be thankful that we generally have enough to eat and embrace that we are all made in different shapes and sizes? I, for one, refuse to give in to the notion that the only way to be fit is to be thin. I also want to realize how much better we have it than those people who are working 12-16 hours per day for little pay and are malnourished. Let's be thankful that we can have abundance - even if it is around our waist.

Stress Eating

A friend shared with me today that she's been stress eating. I listened carefully and told her that it was important that she recognize it, but that it would be okay. She is currently attending weight watcher meetings and said that it was likely she'd be up in weight this week, but she wasn't going to beat herself up about it. I'm glad to see that she's been realistic and not beating herself up about the fact that there are times in life where you do find yourself stress eating.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Family Christmas number one was on Saturday, December 3rd. It was a great time and the appetizers and the mini sandwiches were good, but the greatest food was the vanilla bean cheesecake that my sister made. As she was cutting it, she asked if she should cut it in squares, and I said that she should; however, I had four pieces! Was that low calorie, low fat food? Nope! Was it delicious - yes! We shared it while playing a game and none of us shamed anyone else for our indulgence.

Why I Don't Do Weight Watchers

There was a time that I thought I should try the program that claims it is the most successful weight loss system/support group on the market; however, today, I choose not to. The six months that I tried it were hard - and I had very little support at home. But the biggest reason that I quit was that I hated being a slave to food journals and counting calories, tracking points, and not making progress. I looked at our culture at that time and wondered why I was doing it and decided that I wouldn't do it any longer.

Judge Me Not, Mom

How many family gatherings will you attend this month? Two? Three? Ours could be four our five. We had two gatherings this weekend. At my second one, my mother passed her judgment on my parenting skills and informed me that my children were eating too much candy. I told her that she could stop judging me and my cousin said that she couldn't judge because my sister and I did the same thing when there was candy around. I want my kids to be secure in their food choices and I will not shame them, when at a party, they choose to indulge in candy. So mom - judge me all you want - but my kids are thriving, despite my "poor" parenting styles.

My New Rules

Every once in awhile, I go back and revisit my new rules. I struggle less with mommy guilt now that both kids are in school full-time (until my mom visits), but I still feel that sometimes I need to hear permission from myself to live by these rules. Comment with the rules you would add.

I have struggled since my son was born (almost 4 years ago) with "mommy guilt." Today,I am giving myself permission to not feel guilty! My new rules to survive as a working mom (who really, really likes her job):

1.) Socks belong in a laundry basket - not folded neatly inside each other.
2.) Our family's clothes do not need folded - they don't stay that way so why bother? I will from here on throw my children's clothes haphazardly in their dressers - since that is how they will end up anyway
3.) My sanity is saved by a to-do, doing, done chart (taken right out of Scrum training) for my almost-6 year old to do her jobs!
4.) I can - while doing mundane tasks - watch the TV shows I want and let my children entertain themselves (GASP - they may actually have to play without mommy)
5.) We have hired a cleaning service and they are wonderful! I refuse to feel guilty about spending more time with my family and paying a company that pays their workers really, really well to clean my house twice a month.

Please leave a comment about what else we, as moms, can do to relieve our mommy guilt.