Mom Guilt Revisited

A few days ago one of my good friends was lamenting on Facebook that she deserved the bad mom of the year award.  I happen to know she is an amazing mom!  Yet we ALL have those days where as moms we just feel like we are doing an awful job.  I reread my mom guilt post from a couple months ago and chuckled a little bit.  I really had nothing to feel guilty about as my daughter was fine, but I DID feel guilty.  Extremely guilty and I think that is a GOOD thing!  Yep mom guilt is a good thing in my estimation.  Why?  Because it means you care!  What I posted to my friend is this: "Guilt is definitely part of being a mom! Look at it this way though - if you do not feel guilt over the stupid things (cause really they are stupid) then you are not a good mom. Part of being a good mom is wanting what is best for your kid(s), which is where the guilt comes from. If you didn't feel guilt then you aren't doing it right!"  As mothers we care so much for our children, we only want what is best for them.  When they are hurt, sad, sick, lonely, mad, or really anything other than happy it can trigger that guilt.  We want for our kids to be happy, so when they are not we often start questioning ourselves.  Is what we are doing as a parent the right thing?  Are we just screwing our kids up so badly they'll never recover?  I know that I often have those feelings of guilt.  I tend to beat myself up with it.  Yet when my friend was beating herself up I recognized that it is normal and good.  It often takes looking outside yourself and your own situation to realize something so simple and plain.  So next time I get the mom guilt, as it will happen I am sure sooner rather than later, I will do my best to remember that the guilt comes from caring and loving my kids so much that I only want the best for them and for them to be happy.