Moms face many challenges in life, especially when it comes to balancing the responsibilities of having children with trying to pursue their own professional and personal goals. One of these challenges is commonly referred to as “mom guilt,” with research reporting that over 87% of mothers experience it at some point (NUK, 2013). This phenomenon involves the parent never quite feeling like they are doing enough for their kids, no matter how hard they work. Whether the guilt stems from the judgment of others or an internalized pressure to live up to a certain standard, mom guilt can be a significant obstacle for many new moms.
When you decide to pursue a career as a life coach, you may encounter clients dealing with some form of mom guilt. It is important to be able to support these clients in the most effective way possible to help them get past their mental hurdles. Continue reading to learn more about how you can help clients manage mom guilt after life coach training at Rhodes Wellness College.
Explain the Benefits of Being a Working Mom
As you will learn while training to become a certified life coach, it can be valuable to tap into your own emotions and experiences in order to better help your future clients. Whether or not you have kids of your own or have experienced mom guilt, you can use your comprehension of their situation to put yourself in their shoes. Creating a foundation of understanding and empathy will help you make meaningful progress with your clients, especially as you help them identify the value in their efforts.
A good starting point for addressing this challenge that moms often face is explaining to them the benefits that they offer their children by being a working mom. These benefits start with themselves, as working moms consistently exhibit a renewed sense of autonomy and personal fulfillment, resulting in improved mood and satisfaction (Rosenthal, 2019). The benefits go beyond these immediate effects. A Harvard study found that daughters with working mothers become higher-achieving in their own careers, and that sons of working mothers are more knowledgeable on how to assist with child care (Nobel, 2015). Clarifying these benefits to working mothers, who may feel some guilt over upholding other responsibilities to work, self-care and social time, can help them balance their efforts for a more well-rounded life.
How to Help Moms Set Healthy Boundaries After Life Coach Training
When you choose Rhodes Wellness College to complete your life coach training, you will gain hands-on experience with addressing client challenges to help them overcome their obstacles to a happier, healthier life. Setting healthy boundaries is a great way for clients to create balance in different areas of their life. Research shows that feelings of guilt do not work to reform any future behaviour. Instead, guilt gives more power to the areas of the brain that seek gratification (Wise, 2002).
If your future clients come to understand that this guilt is actually inhibiting their ability to find satisfaction and happiness in their situation, they may be less inclined to give in to those feelings and negative thoughts (Wise, 2002). Studies show that setting healthy boundaries not only helps the individual but helps the family as a whole, since expectations on the level of support are clear (Holt, 2021).
Coaching Moms Through the Feeling of Wanting to Quit
Mom guilt can often lead to an overwhelming feeling of wanting to quit. Whether they want to give up on their social life, quit their job or take a break from doing the things that they enjoy to deal with the guilt, this can be detrimental to the overall wellbeing of the mother (Parcsi, 2013).
A study looked into what it took to get past this desire to quit in order to escape feelings of guilt. Researchers found that the main goal should be to find a way to feel valued both at work and as a parent (Parsci, 2013). Another main point was that compromises should be made on the mom’s end, as well as the other parties involved, to offer a more supportive and understanding environment (Parsci, 2013). As a new life coach, you can feel confident in helping your clients find a sense of value, purpose and fulfillment as you learn to listen with empathy and coach them towards healthier relationships.
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Works Cited:
Holt, N. (2021). How Do Sport Parents Engage in Autonomy-Supportive Parenting in the Family Home Setting? A Theoretically Informed Qualitative Analysis. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Retrieved on Feb 15, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33412514/
Nobel, C. (2015). Kids Benefit From Having a Working Mom. Business Research for Business Leaders. Retrieved on Feb 15, 2022, from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/kids-benefit-from-having-a-working-mom
NUK (2013). Guilt-Free Guide to Childcare. Understanding Life. Retrieved on Feb 15, 2022, from https://issuu.com/duncanparkes/docs/nuk_guilt_free_booklet_issuu
Parsci, L. (2013). Experiences of occupational therapists returning to work after maternity leave. Australian Journal of Occupational Therapy. Retrieved Feb 15, 2022, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1440-1630.12051
Rosenthal, J. (2019). Striving for balance: A review of female dermatologists’ perspective on managing a dual-career household. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. Retrieved Feb 15, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32042884/
