It's Okay To Not Always Enjoy Motherhood

In between happy dances and giggly muddy adventures outdoors, I have moments where I do not enjoy being a mother. These moments however, do not equate to me not loving my children nor me not being grateful for the beautiful gift of motherhood. I love them with all my heart, obviously.

This applies to many women too, I’m sure. These moments of not enjoying motherhood are simply part of being human, and part of the wondrous ebb and flow of life. Nothing is constant in this life.

And I guess this is where the advice to “ENJOY EVERY MOMENT” is flawed. While it’s true that we will not get these moments of motherhood back, we are not expected to ENJOY every moment. It’s okay and natural to not enjoy the weariness from the lack of sleep. It’s okay to not enjoy not having a second to sit in peace.

We hear the words “enjoy every moment” all the time that we then become afraid in being honest with our feelings. We feel guilty each time we get hints of not enjoying certain moments of motherhood. We don’t talk about them, in fear of being judged. We brush away these feelings, and then possibly unhealthily bottle them up.

We will not get these moments back, yes. But it’s okay to not enjoy EVERY moment. Instead of enjoying them, what we could do instead is to EMBRACE every moment. Embrace our favourite moments with joy. Embrace moments of frustrations by acknowledging and accepting those feelings, and embracing the lessons they teach.

I wouldn’t have learned the true meaning of self-care, for example, if I didn’t have moments of frustrations where I did not enjoy being a mother. And I am grateful for these lessons. I do not ENJOY every moment of motherhood, but I EMBRACE every moment with gratitude.