Why Are We so Hard on Ourselves?!

I've known this for a while.  That I'm hard on myself, that is.  But isn't it true that it takes on an entirely new meaning when you become a wife?  And especially when you become a mother?  As if we didn't have enough going on to worry about not doing a good job.  The house isn't clean enough...I don't serve enough healthy meals...I raise my voice one too many times....the list goes on and on.

 I remember the moment I noticed this feeling as if it were yesterday.  It was when a friend of mine (and a fellow mommy) told me what a good mom I was because I played nursery rhyme CDs in the car.  Can you guess what my response was?  I believe it went something like this, "Well, I don't know about that, but thank you."  Really??  Why can't the "thank you" come before the "I don't know about that"?  And why does the "I don't know about that" have to come at all?   Are you guilty of the "I don't know about that"?

And what about the insincere thank you?  My husband can relate.  Here I am depriving myself of tasty calories...um, wine...in order to shed a few...um, several...pounds.  He is my biggest cheerleader and I love him dearly, but for some reason as soon as he tries to pay me a compliment, I completely shrug him off as if he's just doing me a favor.  Eventually he's going to stop trying and I wouldn't blame the poor guy if he did.  I will smile and tell him thank you, but if I don't actually believe it, then what difference does it make?  So this is for all of you women.  Mommies or not... 

You are doing a great job! 
You are beautiful!

Now you (and I) just have to start believing it!!   No more being hard on ourselves.  No more "I don't know about that".  And definitely no judging other moms.  This job is hard enough and we should be supporting one another through every step.  I say we take a stand and make a conscience effort to praise ourselves for all that we are doing right and stop focusing on what we think we're doing wrong.  Isn't that what our kids would want?  Our husbands?  And don't we truly want that for ourselves?  Take the challenge with me.  God is in control anyway and He won't let you down!

And remember...  :)