Laura Mazza is renowned for her relatable blog posts about the pleasures and perils of parenting, and the 31-year-old’s latest message for all “bad mums” might be her best yet.
The mum-of-two (with a bun currently in the oven) recently recounted her heartwarming experience with a therapist, after she arrived 25 minutes late to an appointment with two screaming children in tow.
“‘I’m sorry I’m late, I’m a terrible mess. I’m a bad mother. I can’t get my shit together, yadda yadda yadda…’” she said to the therapist, apologising profusely.
“You know how I am… ‘I’m so sorry’. Pointing to my two children, ‘I had no one else’.”
And the therapist’s response is a timely reminder for all mums just trying to do their best.
“She said, ‘You’re not a bad mother, you know how I can tell? Because of all the things you’ve just said.’” Laura recounted.
She went on to explain how Laura had taken the time to dress her kids, help them eat their breakfast, tried to look presentable and, despite not having a babysitter, still managed to attend the appointment.
“She said ‘So rather than cancelling on today, you did the most hardest thing in the world for someone with anxiety and for someone with two young children, you got dressed, you dressed your two kids, you fed them, you brought them out of the house, and you came to an appointment because you want to better yourself for them.’” the therapist replied.
“And then she leaned forward, and said, ‘And you know why I know you’re not a shit mother?’ Because you did all of that. And you do all of that every day. You put all of their needs first. Every need from their emotional, to physical, to wellbeing. Every day.”
She said that despite most mums going above and beyond for their kids, they still feel like they’re failing.
“So whenever you go anywhere, your kids are screaming, your clothes are stained, your eyes are bloodshot from being tired and you feel like you are a mess, remember THESE are all signs that you are mothering, and you are doing it damn right,” Laura wrote.
The post clearly resonated with many mums, receiving over 5000 likes, 1500 shares and thousands more comments.
“Thank you, I needed this so much,” one follower wrote. “So true. I recently had an “aha” moment at therapy when I realised that most of my anxiety came from me telling myself “you are a mess”… So I now try to think of me as this little kid that needs attention, and to be treated with kindness and respect.”
“Thank you Laura, I cracked on Sunday and cried out for help,” another said. “I’ve been doubting myself and hating on myself since as I’ve had some time away from my daughter to recoup. Your post resonated with me so much, I too feel and think all of these things and my psychologist has a difficult time convincing me otherwise. Coming from you it gets through better, I believe it more. Thank you I need this post more than you know today.”
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health Australia.
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