GMS: Guilty Mother Syndrome
A lesser known condition related to parenting, Guilty Mother Syndrome commonly arises the minute that you hear youre pregnant. Everything from what you eat while you are pregnant to the way you sleep at night may cause you guilt. But if you think thats bad, wait until your baby is born and you try to start balancing work with your new family! Guilty Mother Syndrome can be a real predicament for almost every mother who works, and the problem can be particularly prominent for women who run their own businesses and do it all on their own. What is Guilt, anyway? According to Mirriam-Webster, guilt is defined as "feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy." If you feel guilty for not being there enough for your children, according to the actual definition, then you are imagining that you are committing an offense to them. In actuality, you are creating this guilt from your imagination! Since you have created it, you can also remove and prevent this guilt. So how do you take action against creating this guilt? The main cause of guilt for us working moms is that we cannot be everywhere at once, making ourselves feel bad for not being available for our children 24-7. Of course you want to be with your children all of the time; you want to be where they are, and see what they are doing and constantly be a part of their life. But the reality is that you have a business to run as well, and you cannot be everywhere at the same time. To prevent yourself from feeling guilty every time you have to go to work, take a new perspective on the times that you have to leave your child. Rather than imagining how sad he/she is, look at this as another lesson that you can teach your child about responsibility, independence, business, and work-ethic. Your child will eventually appreciate these lifelong lessons and put them into practice later on. Although you can teach good lessons through being a working mother, make sure that you schedule quality time with your children. Try to attend and be involved in all of their important events, concerts, doctors appointments and other special moments. If you are particularly busy, be sure that the time you spend with your family is quality time, not just hanging out in front of the television. Your business is important to you, and you need to work for your family, however dont forget to keep the balance, and you will be able to keep your Working Mother Syndrome under control, giving you the freedom to enjoy the best of both worlds. A great real-mom guide for balancing work and motherhood is The Business Mom Guide Book: More Life, Less Overwhelm for Mom Entrepreneurs by Terilee Harrison. All mom entrepreneurs know its a challenge to raise their family and run a business, but hardly anyone talks about how they get it done. Instead of continuing to live in overwhelm, Terilee Harrison decided to bring the insights, tips, failures, and successes from mom business owners that are getting it done so that we can all help each other. These courageous moms all shared their stories - what works for them as they run their business, little things they try to do to be the best mom possible, and how they still find time for themselves. Real Estate, Business and Life Coach Cheri Alguire has partnered with hundreds of Real Estate Professionals and Small Business Owners to help them become more successful in business and in life. Coach Cheri specializes in Group Coaching for Small Business Owners, Working Mothers, Real Estate Agents and Managers. Learn more at www.NextLevelServices.net.
