What is motherhood imposter syndrome? It is that feeling that you are doing motherhood all wrong.
Introducing the Motherhood Imposter Syndrome
Casey Wilson, a mother of two, describes motherhood imposter syndrome as the belief that one is not a good enough parent.
“You just suddenly feel like, ‘I’m doing it wrong — whatever I’m doing, is wrong,'” Wilson, an actress and comedian, told “Good Morning America.”
Constantly questioning yourself, your instincts can be tiring and make you very ineffective.
She shares that at various times she felt like she was working too much, or she didn’t cook enough vegetables, or ate the wrong things in utero. Other thoughts are that she didn’t breastfeed her son long enough, and so many other things.
When she began to notice developmental challenges in her son, she became even more worried. They went for some blood tests, and they got a call from their doctor informing them that their son had celiac disease. Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune condition where eating gluten triggers an immune response in the small intestine.
Healing
The doctor who diagnosed her son sent them to the country’s celiac expert. When they met the expert, she told them that the good news was that everything about him could be explained under the umbrella of celiac disease. Her recommendation was for them to keep him off gluten for six months, and he will get better.
She was right. In six months, almost to the day, his truer self emerged. His essence is the same, but he is now an outwardly thriving, happy 4-year-old who is bursting with creativity and life.
The whole point of this motherhood imposter syndrome is that while she worried that something was wrong with her son, she questioned herself and her motherhood in general. In reality, it had nothing to do with her. Additionally, she noted that her husband never questioned his fatherhood or believed he had done anything wrong.
Why do Mothers Feel Guilty
Why do mothers feel guilty? Where do mothers get this mother imposter syndrome from, and why do we question ourselves so much? Not sure what the answer is, but most of the time, you and I are doing a great job, your children love you, and your family appreciates you.
The next time you want to beat yourself up about something you are not doing right, remember you probably have nothing to worry about. If you find that the Pinterest boards and Instagram feed make you feel anxious? Stop looking at them and comparing yourselves. [Read: Our Mum of the Month Tolu Michaels]
