Striving To Do It All, Including Raising Perfect Kids, is a Recipe for Disaster

Are you feeling overwhelmed and under appreciated as a parent? If you are a woman, you are especially vulnerable to getting stretched too thin between your obligations to your kids, work, family and other commitments. Trying to do it all is a recipe for a breakdown.

In Brené Brown’s TED talk Listening to Shame, she explains “For women shame is - do it all, do it perfectly and never let them see you sweat.” She refers to the commercial for Enjoli Perfume where the jingle says “I can put the wash on the line, feed the kids, get dressed, hand out the kisses, and get to work by five to 9:00. I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan and never let you forget you're a man.” Trying to reach these unrealistic expectations can make you feel crazy!

If you’re feeling stretched too thin and don’t change anything, you’re likely to snap. The tricky part is figuring out how to reduce the tension. Something needs to give so you don’t break down. By reaching out to other mothers or professional counselors, you’ll learn you’re not alone – there are no perfect parents or perfect kids. There are just people striving to do their best.