Handling a Social Media Slump
“Why can’t we celebrate the achievements around us as mothers?”
Sometimes I feel like social media would be better if we couldn't see posts from other people. If it were just a world of cyber high-fives without any of the self-judgement, how much happier would we be?
Think about it: Your best mom friend posts a video of her kid doing something "amazing." A milestone that is developmentally appropriate for her child's age but is something your child has yet to achieve. How do you feel?
While scrolling through your newsfeed you see a friend made her own kids birthday party invitations, followed by decorations and party favors to match. How do you feel?
In between nursing, scraping uneaten food off the high chair tray and switching the laundry you take your social media break and see yet another announcement of a baby sleeping through the night and you think, "Why her?? Why not me??" How do you feel?
Then there are THOSE days. The ones that you wake up and five minutes into it, you can tell it will be a day where everything just seems to go wrong. Your house is a mess, your patience is on thin, you don't know what to cook and you feel like you're being pulled in EVERY direction possible and you just can't do it all. And then, then there's that one Instagram post from that mama that always seems so put together and perfect. You know what I am talking about, that supermom whose Instagram is filled with homemade goodies, crafts and a pristine house. How does that make you feel?
While we have clearly all been there, I am here to say I'm sick of it. Why can't we celebrate the achievements around us as mothers? Why is our initial reaction guilt, jealousy or frustration?
Besides, don't we know that these little squares and these small blurbs on Facebook don't really show everything. Sometimes we seem to forget that.
As a TMM reader, you should be proud. You're a great mom, you do great things, and you're doing a phenomenal job raising the tiny humans in your life.
Instead of feeling frustrated while you scroll through your news feed, start a journal of things to celebrate. You can even simply scroll your photos to see past pictures and memories. Take a second to put the phone down and realize just all that you are achieving, all that you have taught your children and all that you are doing.
You may shock yourself at how amazing things really are.