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I love my kids. I would throw myself in front of a moving car for them.
But do I love every single moment of motherhood?
Absolutely not.
And if you don’t either? That doesn’t make you a bad mom.
Motherhood is full of beautiful, heartwarming, magical moments—sticky little hands squeezing yours, sleepy cuddles, spontaneous giggles that make your heart explode.
But it’s also full of exhaustion, frustration, and moments that make you want to lock yourself in the bathroom and pretend no one needs you for five minutes.
Somewhere along the way, society decided that moms are supposed to cherish every moment.
That we should be soaking in every tantrum, every sleepless night, every endless snack request with a grateful heart. That if we’re really good moms, we’ll look at the chaos and think, Wow, I’m just so lucky to be experiencing this.
But let me tell you—when my kid is screaming because their banana broke in half and I’m running on four hours of sleep, I am not soaking it in. I am surviving it.
You Can Love Your Kids Without Loving Every Part of Motherhood
The idea that we have to love every part of parenting sets us up for guilt.
It makes us feel like if we’re not overjoyed at the 57th “Mom? Mom? Moooooom?” of the day, we’re somehow failing.
But here’s the truth:
- You can love your kids and get overwhelmed by them.
- You can cherish their childhood and count down the minutes until bedtime.
- You can be a patient, kind, loving mom and feel like you might lose your mind if one more person touches you today.
Hard Moments Don’t Cancel Out the Good Ones
Motherhood is a wild mix of joy and exhaustion.
One minute you’re watching your kid do something adorable and feeling your heart swell with love.
The next minute, you’re trying to reason with a toddler who insists they need to eat dinner off the floor.
It’s both. Always both.
The tough moments don’t erase the good ones. The frustration doesn’t cancel out the love.
Having days where you don’t enjoy being a mom doesn’t mean you don’t love your kids. It just means you’re human.
You’re Not a Bad Mom If You Need a Break
Somewhere along the way, we were sold the lie that “good moms” are endlessly patient, self-sacrificing, and never need time to themselves.
That’s nonsense.
A good mom takes breaks. A good mom recognizes when she’s running on empty.
A good mom knows that she cannot pour from an empty cup, so she steps away when she needs to.
Needing space from your kids doesn’t mean you don’t love them. It means you’re a person with limits—and recognizing those limits is what makes you a better mom, not a worse one.
Let’s Drop the Mom Guilt
If you feel guilty because you don’t love every moment, here’s your permission to let that go.
Motherhood is messy. It’s so much. It’s beautiful and exhausting and hilarious and overwhelming, and sometimes it’s all of those things at once.
You don’t have to love every moment.
You just have to love your kids.
And I promise—you’re already doing that. 💛
