Of course I felt guilty when I slipped on ice, fell and let my 18 month old son’s head hit the pavement. Actually I felt TERRIBLE and guilty and horrified that I could let that happen. I wanted to spoil him because Mommy made such a bad mistake. Yes, plenty of cuddles were in order, but I would have given him a ton of his favorite sugar candy (which I usually avoid like the plague!), if I knew that would make him feel better! However, I had to move on with it and with a clear head, take him to the doctor because that was best for him…regardless of what I felt like doing (i.e. letting him have the entire bag of M&M’s in one sitting).
How often to you let guilt drive your decisions?
I felt guilty that I forgot that my child had a day off of school and was adamant about the schedule my hubby must follow to get her to school on time that day. (oops!) However, I did not let that guilt eat away at me. I made a mistake and offered my sincere apology. What I did NOT do is offer him a weekend golf trip for him and his buddies, because of my error.
On the other hand, I remember a time where I was so rushed, that I barely listened to what my daughter was saying as I walked out of her room, mumbling something that would hopefully convince her to go to bed. I got downstairs to realize she asked me ever so sweetly and politely to give her “rock a bye babies”- of course THAT guilt helped me to realize I should take a few extra minutes to spend with her that night. And I felt okay with this guilt that led me to make a good decision.
I realize this is the GUILT FREE MOM blog…and if we are being real, we know that living without any guilt is not only unrealistic, it’s a bit dangerous…(I mean I am sure jail cells are full of people who did not feel guilty!) However, what we do with our guilty feelings is really what matters. How we react to our guilt and how we allow the guilt to drive us…is what will help us feel less stressed , more fulfilled in life and more confident in our decisions.
At times, this guilt we feel is really more about how we let the guilt take charge of us.
This week, I encourage us all to pay special attention to how we let guilt drive our decisions! Specifically, what decisions will you make this week based solely on feeling guilt?
