Mom shares 'guilt' over letting kid watch TV when she needed a break — fellow parents support her
They say motherhood is rewarding. Sure, it is, but everything comes at a cost, and motherhood is no exception. The journey of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and, of course, raising a child isn't easy. Sleepless nights, chronic fatigue, and physical and emotional exhaustion often make mothers crave a little break from the chaotic world. And, just when they decide to steal some moments just for themselves, the ''mom guilt'' creeps in, loud and uninvited. That's exactly what happened to a woman who goes by u/imaginary-owl-9887 on Reddit. She let her 15-week-old daughter watch TV for some time, and that instantly made her doubt her ability to raise her child.
"Part of me feels so guilty, and the other part isn’t sorry at all," she said, talking about letting her daughter watch "Miss Rachel" for a straight 1.5 hours while she cleaned the house and ate her lunch. The new mommy was happy for sure — the house was clean, and her tummy was full — but the "mom guilt" had definitely taken a toll on her. "I am also worried that I am hurting her development," she revealed. This was literally the first time she allowed her daughter to sit in front of a screen ever. "Even when I feed her, I make sure not to let her look at my phone if I’m scrolling, or sometimes I read a book out loud to entertain both of us, lol," the new mom, going through postpartum anxiety, explained.
Moving on, she admitted that maybe she just wanted to share her story, to reassure herself that there is no harm in taking a break once in a while. "This is in no way meant to guilt or shame any mama who takes advantage of a few minutes to herself, whatever that may look like. The logical part of my brain knows it’s okay. I am just having a hard time accepting that I need a break, too, sometimes," she added.
Reacting to the anonymous Reddit post, a user, u/positive_fish6681, commented, "I have a 10-month-old, and I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve realized there will be someone out there who judges you no matter what you do, whether it’s formula vs. breast milk, screen time vs. no screen time, what toys you use, what diapers you use, etc. But, at the end of the day, we’re all out here trying to do our best, and your best will always be good enough for your baby!" Meanwhile, someone else, u/back5tage_n1nja, revealed, "I don't do that often, but some days it is the only way I can get things done with littles. I make sure they also have a good, open-ended toy so they're not just totally focused on the shows, but sometimes it's just kind of necessary to get things done around the house. My main one is when the kitchen got really bad."
On the other hand, another user, u/fickle-put623, said, "Hi! We’re very no-screens with our babies so far, but as someone who works in a peds hospital, there’s a huge difference in babies who have screen time every day vs. the super super rare special circumstance (which this absolutely was — you can’t pour from an empty cup; cleaning and eating were absolutely necessary). Your baby will absolutely be ok. If you’re planning to do no screens, I’d probably not make a habit of it because then they get used to being constantly entertained and watching screens, but once in a blue moon, like this, is not going to permanently damage your baby. Congratulations on your sweet baby!"