The Struggle to Be "Supermom"

In the latest issue of Canticle Magazine, Elizabeth York wrote a great article: "Frazzled: The Secret of Homeschool Success." What she wrote about is important for all moms, not just homeschooling ones. We all get tempted to do too much and, in fact, try to do much.

In the process, we often try to get our kids to do so much. Somehow, the culture says that if our children are not spending every waking minute in some organized, educational activity that they can list on their college application, they are wasting their childhood. And then this same culture wonders why it is that kids today are so easily bored and can't "think out of the box!" They can't keep themselves entertained because they haven't had the opportunity to do so. How can they develop imaginations when they have never had the time to daydream? There is nothing wrong with an extracurricular activity or two, but when it is stressing out both the child and the mom, the time comes when you as the mom need to draw the line and drop something from the schedule.

The same thing holds true for us. It is tempting to take on lots of activities, work, etc. while maintaining our households, but if the stress level becomes unhealthy, it is time to back away from something. It is OK to turn down taking part in something (even if it is a good something) if it brings stress onto your family. It is OK to say "No." While all us try to be the best moms and women we can be, "Supermom" is a myth. We need to accept ourselves as we are and make love, not our resumes, the standard by which we judge ourselves.