How Elle Woods Can Help You Get Over Mom Guilt

By: Jenn Grandlienard

The mom guilt- getting into workout post birth and not feeling bad about it

It doesn’t take long after becoming a mom for another milestone of motherhood to hit: MOM GUILT. 

It doesn’t really matter what you do or don’t do, mom guilt will find a way to haunt you. 

Whether you’re a working mom or a stay at home mom. 

Whether you have one child or ten. 

Whether you choose to homeschool or send your kids to public school. 

Whether your feed your kid all natural, all organic, homemade food, or Kraft Mac N Cheese. 

Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed. 

Whether you work out from home during nap time, or go to the gym, putting your kids in childcare. 

There’s always more or other things you can be doing. When you’re snuggling your kids, there are dishes that need cleaning. When you’re cleaning the dishes, there are kids that need snuggling. 

So what to choose? What to let go of? These decisions can keep you awake at night. (Which isn’t good for ANYONE.) 

Sometimes, even as a mom, you need to choose you. Because choosing you, is in fact, choosing your family. When mom’s happy, the whole house is better off. After all, according to Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins; endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't shoot their husbands! [or kids]” 

So tell mom guilt to buzz off, and do what you have to do to get back to the gym. (Or the living room, if you workout at home.) Ask your husband to watch the kids for an hour while you go to an exercise class at the Y. (Here is a list of the classes and schedule: https://www.daytonymca.org/programs/fitness-classes) 

Or if your husband isn’t able to watch the kids at a time that’s convenient, ask a family member or a friend. People are more willing to help you than you think. You are NOT an inconvenience. You matter, and your desires to get back in shape and healthy matter. 

If you’re still struggling with mom guilt, text a mom friend about it. Friends will help keep you grounded and remind you that mom guilt is deceiving you. And once you start seeing results from exercise and healthy eating, you’ll realize how much your health matters to your happiness and well-being, you’ll be able to tell mom guilt to hit the road yourself! 

Mom guilt is a liar. You are a great mom. The fact that you care about your health is exactly what makes you a great mom. Don’t let mom guilt keep you down. You deserve better!