Good Enough is the New Perfect: Why Feeling Like a "Bad Mom" Doesn't Make You a Failure

You might make a self-deprecating joke about riding the hot mess express, or saving for your kids’ future therapy, but the truth is? Behind the closed doors of the therapy room, so many women share that they fear they are a "bad mom," and there’s nothing funny about it.

Listen as we get honest about :

• the fact that nearly every mom sometimes feels like a "bad mom" and fears that she is failing at motherhood.
• how apps like BabyCenter, and internet mom groups, created a generation of "responsibilized" moms
• how parenting information has separated moms from their intuition
• the unrealistic, unconscious expectations that many of us have for ourselves or our children
• how early motherhood experiences, including postpartum depression and anxiety, can contribute to the feeling of being a "bad mom"
• Winnicott's "Good Enough Mother" (aka the one time psychology DIDN'T blame moms for absolutely everything)
• why it is important to challenge the idea of being a bad mom and practice self-compassion. This is SO MUCH EASIER to do in community, so we'll be continuing the conversation in the facebook group, and we'd love you to meet us there!

Plus, Andrea sings the praises of a beloved pre-k teacher; Jessica reacts - strongly - to the idea of the "good enough" mother; and Andrea and Jessica discover that they were both bloggers in the early internet days (who knew?).

As we head towards Mother's Day, we want YOU, our beloved listener who is also a mother, to know this:

You are exactly the mom that your children need. So make all of the "bad mom" jokes that you want, but remember - you are more than good enough, just the way you are. Happy Mother's Day!

Like this episode? Check these out:

• 44. Isn't this Supposed to be Fun? (February 27, 2024) - in case you don't enjoy the daily grind of motherhood, and that makes you feel like a bad mom (spoiler alert - you're not!)
• 37. Exploring Mommy Wine Culture During Dry January (January 9, 2024) - talk about societal pressures! Also, I think we should all take a moment to reflect on the fact that 20% of women in the US in the 1950s were being prescribed valium up to 4x a DAY to deal with their daily difficulties, so... you're probably doing fine.
• 22. So You Lost Your Shit... (September 20, 2023) - in case losing your shit makes you feel like you're a bad mom... at least you're in good company! This is never not going to be one of our favorite episodes.

WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH YOU!!

Whether you want your own question answered on Hot Take Thursday, want to discuss the latest Honest Women episode, or just want a place where you can be real with other people and talk about life honestly... the best place to do that is our BRAND NEW FACEBOOK GROUP! 

Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/honestwomenpodcastcommunity

And if you have a real-world scenario you want us to discuss, a bug in your bonnet about something going on in the world, or just want to say hello, and you don't have facebook, please email us: [email protected]

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Follow Jessica: @jlhutchisonlcpc

Follow Andrea: @andreaburkly

Learn more about the Honest Women Podcast: www.honestwomenpodcast.com

Honest Women is the podcast for every woman juggling the demands of modern life (while trying to keep her shit together) and finding that it’s all just a little more difficult than she thought it would be. Your hosts, Andrea Burkly and Jessica Hutchison, are two very real mental health professionals who are taking honest conversations from inside their offices to the outside world.

Disclaimer:

Please note while this podcast features two therapists, and may feel very therapeutic, this is not therapy! Please be entertained, and know that through our creative content, we are not providing mental health care. No diagnosis. No treatment. No medical advice. Just creative content. Please seek appropriate mental health support in the real world.

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