You Don’t Have to Love Every Minute: Real Talk for Moms
- willowtreehealingc
- May 2
- 3 min read
You don’t have to enjoy every moment to be a great mom. Real-life parenting is messy, beautiful, and hard — and that’s okay. For therapy for moms in Virginia, check out Willow Tree Healing Center.
As a therapist who works closely with moms, I hear it all the time:“I feel guilty because I’m not enjoying every moment.”
Let’s be honest — that whole “savor every second” message? It sounds sweet, but in real life, it can feel suffocating. Parenting is filled with sacred, beautiful moments — and also with chaos, exhaustion, overstimulation, and days that feel like they’ll never end.
Why This Pressure Hurts
The expectation to feel blissed-out 24/7 puts pressure on parents to suppress valid, complex emotions. And when those emotions don’t have a place to go, they don’t disappear — they show up in our bodies, in burnout, and in the way we connect (or struggle to connect) with our kids and partners.
This isn't just anecdotal — research supports the toll of emotional suppression in parenting. The American Psychological Association reports that many parents feel overwhelmed and unsupported, especially during the early years.
👉 Learn more about my approach to therapy for moms and caregivers👉 Schedule a free consultation
Give Yourself Permission
You’re allowed to say:
“This is hard.”
“I love my kids and I need a break.”
“I’m overwhelmed, and I don’t want to feel this way.”
Letting yourself feel the full range of emotions doesn’t make you a bad parent. It makes you a human one. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s presence. And presence includes you, as you are, not just the version you think you should be.
Looking for a supportive community? Postpartum Support International offers helpful resources for new parents navigating emotional ups and downs.
What Actually Helps
Name what’s real: Say what you're feeling without sugarcoating it. This kind of emotional labeling is shown to reduce stress (Harvard Health).
Look for micro-moments: Not everything has to be magical — just find a few moments that feel okay or grounding.
Drop the performance: Your kids don’t need a perfect parent. They need a connected one. Even if that means showing them what repair looks like after a hard moment.
Final Thought
You don’t have to love every minute. No one does. You are allowed to struggle, to feel bored, to crave space — and still be doing an amazing job. If you’re showing up at all, especially on the hard days, that matters more than you think.
👉 Start therapy with me — online sessions available in Virginia
👉 Check out my Psychology Today profile
If you are looking for family counseling, Mary Willoughby Prentiss is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia who provides online therapy for Willow Tree Healing Center. She enjoys transforming the lives of women, college students, kids, tweens/teens, and families through providing communication strategies, coping skills that work, allowing a safe space to be heard, and actively working towards helping you with your challenges. She is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 2-7) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, counsels substance abuse in teens and adults, and practices Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.
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