One brilliant, simple thing you can do right now to help end working mom guilt

Working mom guilt is something every working mom has experienced in one way or another. And basically, it sucks.

However, we’ve always heard that guilt is the most useless emotion — and now, consider us schooled. On this week’s episode of Spawned, we spoke with Jessica N. Turner, author of the brand new (and already top-selling!) Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt and she shared so much incredible information. Including the idea that guilt is actually a great teacher.

But one tip she offered on the show really stuck with us.

We asked her if she could offer just one single bit of advice that could help working moms (and dads too) alleviate guilt. Jessica’s response.

Sit down right now, and make a list: write down 10 things that make you a great parent.

It’s so simple. And if you think about it, it’s brilliant.

It’s an instant perspective-changer, because you’re celebrating the things that make you you, and make you the perfect mom for your own kids. And that’s what matters.

Now, tuck that list into your wallet, hang it on your bulletin board over your desk, pop it in an envelope and keep it somewhere within reach. It will work wonders.

Also remember that just the fact that you are taking the time to look at a question like this and listen to a podcast like this, the fact that you are setting an example for your kids with your job, modeling hard work, and supporting your family — clearly that means you are a good enough parent. And as we said in the podcast, sometimes good enough is…good.

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We think you’ll learn so much more from this terrific discussion about working mom guilt, what you can learn from it, how to make more time for your (non-kid) relationships, how to unplug a little more, and how you can experience guilt a lot less often.

Take a listen right here, right now:

You can also listen on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or your favorite podcasting app. And be sure to subscribe to Spawned with Kristen + Liz (it’s easy), so that you never miss an episode.

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Our cool picks of the week

Photo: Maria Baranova

Liz: The teen cult favorite, Off-Broadway hit, Be More Chill, which is now coming to Broadway. (And now that Kristen’s seen it with her daughter, she agrees: Get tickets now!