Ditch the
“Super Mum”
Myth
Three things you can do
to help ditch the mummy
guilt and learn to put
yourself first
1.
Ask for Help!
I was a shocker at asking for help – yet I
was the first person to help others. A mentor of
mine said to me “Fiona how do you feel when you
help someone out and you see their happiness?
I realised I felt great, it gave me a lift. My mentor
pointed out to me that every time I turned down
someone’s offer of help or didn’t ask for help I was
robbing them of that feeling.
When I contemplated putting myself first I
felt really confronted. My life as a mother had
always been about putting my children first.
The media continues to depict the mythical
‘super mum’. If we took this myth at face
value it would see us cooking like Rachel Ray,
entertaining and crafting from Pinterest like
Martha Stewart, and being a supermodel like
Heidi Klum with four kids. It is time to reframe
how we think about being a mum and to
ditch the ‘Super Mum” myth. For me a super
mum is being the best version of myself healthy, rested, emotional tank full, contributing
financially to my family and more moments of
actually laughing out loud not typing it [LOL].
What changed for me?
I got sick of watching myself get fatter,
unhappier and grumpier. I needed to change
what I was doing. I was beginning to resent
my family and my work and things that put
demands on my time. This article focuses on 3
big lessons from my journey and what I wish I
had told myself before I had my first child.
2 / Spring 2013
Learning to ask for help has given me a lot more
freedom to do what I need to do to be a super
mum a lot more often.
Who can you take turns sharing the load with?
During school holidays I sometimes have play date
swaps with a friend and her kids which means we
both get some time to ourselves.
2.
Set Priorities
My house is messier and my kids, hubby and
I are now happier. I strongly subscribe to the saying
“Nothing motivates me to clean the house more
than booking in some guests to visit”.
In all seriousness what really needs doing and how
often around your home? Can you afford a cleaner
to help out? How can the whole family help to
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