“I’m sorry.” I said to a lady in the grocery store as my daughter swung her arms and ran down the aisle making noises only a mom could love.
“Sorry for what?” She asked me.
“Oh, for her running around like a child.”
The sweet lady cracked a smile and replied, “She is a child.”
And a child she is. A child that I don’t need or ever want to be “sorry” for or about. That short conversation made me feel pretty silly. It also made me realize that I’m done apologizing for things that I’m not sorry for.
Moms have this bad habit of apologizing for just about everything that isn’t perfect or doesn’t go as planned. We apologize for being late. For our house not being spic and span. For needing time for ourselves. We apologize for our kids. Being kids. It’s time to stop letting the world know that we feel bad about ourselves for silly things. It’s time to accept yourself as the awesome mama you are. It’s time to stop apologizing for things that don’t warrant an apology.
99 Things Moms Should Stop Apologizing For
- Your children’s sleep schedules
- for not doing things you feel like you “should”
- for not being all things to all people
- for not responding to people right away who call or text
- for needing time for yourself
- for saying no to stuff you just don’t want to do
- for looking like a hot mess
- for letting your 3-year-old have a bottle
- for needing time for yourself
- for feeling shitty about your body
- for dinner not being what everyone likes
- for not taking a work call when you’re busy with your kids
- for being scared about the world’s uncertainties
- for wanting to go to the gym on weeknights
- for being late to something non-urgent
- for asking your husband to do more around the house
- for not staying late at work because you have a family to get home to
- for having 3-month-old french fries laying around your car
- emotional outbursts due to being mentally exhausted
- for not cooking a nutritious meal every night
- for being too busy and exhausted at the same time
- for taking time for self-care
- for putting your kids before socializing
- for running the dryer three times before you finally have time to fold the clothes
- for not giving a rip about what others think about your parenting
- for choosing a child’s health and happiness over a career
- for being a working mom
- for being a stay at home mom
- for taking time off from work for kids activities
- for your parenting choices
- for not always having time to clean
- for feeling overwhelmed
- for wanting to have only one child
- for wanting to have more children
- for how you look in a swimsuit
- for not always having your shit together
- for wearing leggings all weekend
- for rocking a messy mom bun every day
- skipping social events at work
- for not losing the baby weight
- for your children’s behavior
- for needing a break
- for putting yourself first
- for standing up for what you believe in
- for needing help
- for crying when things are tough
- for needing a tank of Diet Coke to get through the day
- for choosing sleep over sex
- for wanting your husband to put the kids to bed so you can relax
- for not knowing how to balance everything perfectly
- pumping at work
- for your child’s public temper tantrums
- for existing in space
- parenting choices
- for being right
- for not remembering everything
- for forgetting something
- for your child’s shyness, anxiety, etc.
- for not feeling like you’ve done enough
- for being impatient
- for asking your husband for help
- for the mismatched socks on your toddler
- for being bluntly honest
- for wanting to veg on the couch all day and watch Netflix
- for not enjoying every moment.
- for taking a much-needed nap
- for taking an extra long shower
- for not wanting to exercise
- for calling in sick
- for sending a store bought snack to school
- for feeling overwhelmed
- for letting your kids have too much screen time
- for asking for clarification
- for not giving your children everything they want
- for bribing our children
- for needing a flexible work schedule
- for letting your child watch youtube at a restaurant
- for talking about your child a lot
- for serving leftovers for dinner
- for being upset
- for trying to do the impossible
- wanting to hide in the closet for 5 minutes of quiet time
- for sleeping in
- for not having time to do a new project
- for having toys everywhere
- for rushing through the day
- for things totally out of your control
- for being sad
- for being honest
- for being sick
- for your child’s bodily fluid
- for feeling depressed
- for forgetting picture day
- for being tired
- for being overprotective
- for skipping lunch
- for having to leave early
- for sharing your opinion
- for complaining
The truth is, is that we’re all trying to do the best we can.
Saying sorry all the time only makes us look insecure and defensive. It’s subconsciously seeking the approval from others. It’s asking for forgiveness for living your life. Although some things warrant an apology, (I am not condoning rudeness!) you don’t need to be sorry about things that merit no real apologies. Mama, you are wonderful just the way you are.
What’s one thing you want to stop apologizing about? Tell us about it in the comments!