Although some women like to put on a smile and overlook the difficulties of parenting, this way of life comes with significant consequences for you and your children. Yup - you read that right. When mothers fail to deal with their mental health, it hurts their kids. Continue reading to learn more. 

Impact On Parenting

Let’s start with identifying how not maintaining mental wellness can impact your ability to be a good mom. When you’re emotionally unhealthy, it can affect your mood, decision-making, energy levels, physical well-being, and ability to accommodate your children’s everyday needs. You may lash out at your kids more frequently, make decisions that lead to more significant consequences, or cannot be there when your kids need you most. 

Impact On Kids

Ineffective parenting will always trickle down to your kids. When you’re not at your best, it places a lot of pressure on your children. They experience trauma, develop unhealthy perceptions, try to take on parental responsibilities, prioritize the needs of others, and learn to hide what they’re experiencing. Your kids may also find it hard to build healthy relationships, make effective decisions, and take on a level of guilt that sticks with them through adulthood. 

Prioritizing Mental Wellness

When you better understand how your mental health impacts your parenting and children, you’re encouraged to make changes and seek applicable treatments. While there’s no single path to achieving mental wellness, the suggestions below are great to start. 

Admit It’s Not Easy

The first step is acceptance. You have to admit that being a woman and a mother is challenging. That doesn’t mean you regret becoming a mom or that you don’t love your kids; it’s simply acknowledging that caring for the life of another while navigating your own isn’t easy. When you let go of the idea that motherhood is a breeze, you can stop trying to live up to society’s expectations and live a healthier life for yourself and your kids. 

Get Rid Of The Crutch

What people, places, or things have you come to rely on to numb the pain or simply “get away” for a while? Some women engage in unhealthy relationships, while some turn to substances like drugs and alcohol. Either way, these crutches suck your emotional health dry, making it impossible for you to be there for yourself and your children. 

It’s time to get rid of the crutch for good. Cut ties with unhealthy people and stop abusing substances to numb the pain or reach some level of euphoria. If you can’t do it yourself, there’s nothing wrong with asking someone that cares about you to help. You can also go to counseling, join a support group, work with a coach, or enroll in inpatient rehab without insurance. 

Practice Self-Care

When you don’t prioritize self-care, it weighs on you mentally. Your inner health, physical appearance, social life, and overall satisfaction drop, causing you to feel anxious, stressed, or even depressed. As you don’t want to live this way or model this behavior for your children, you must put yourself first. 

Self-care goes beyond pampering yourself (although it is encouraged). It means being diligent about your daily hygiene, skincare, and grooming routines. You should be intentional about eating healthier and exercising more frequently. Caring for yourself also means investing time and energy into activities that bring you happiness. Ultimately, when you’re in better shape physically and emotionally, your kids benefit from it. 

Being a mom makes you feel like a superhero. Although it isn’t a bad thing, taking this concept too seriously can cause your mental health to decline. While you may believe that hiding your struggles and insecurities is an effective solution, you’ll quickly discover that it makes things worse for you and your children. The more practical approach is to improve your mental health so that you can live the best life possible and be the mother your children need.