Bad Mom Habits I Need to Break NOW

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MomHabits
We all have bad habits. Hey, it happens. One of my bad habits is being negative, so before I kick off by saying what I do wrong, I want to say that I also have a lot of GREAT habits. For instance: I’m super organized when it comes to our morning/evening family routine, I am always up to take a family adventure somewhere new, and I embrace my daughter’s uniqueness with all my heart.

But…there is always room for improvement, so…

Here are the five bad mom habits I need to break NOW!

Negative self-talk. At a million months pregnant, I am guilty of beeping when I back up (like a truck does) and saying things like, “beached whale!” While I do these things in jest, it’s a horrible example for my daughter. I love my body. It gave me my daughter, it’s growing another daughter, it’s curvy, sexy, and I need to stop bashing it. My husband gets on me about this one the most. I want my daughter to grow up loving her body, and unless I set the example, how will she learn this?

Asking rather than telling. “Can you please go put your shoes on?” This is normally followed by my daughter ignoring me. Rather than asking her, I need to tell her, “Go put your shoes on.” It’s way more effective, and I’m the mommy, so what I say goes! Or something like that. I’ll work on it.

Skipping “me” time. There are many times I opt out of me-time because I feel guilty. I need to get over this. After “me” time, I feel way more on-point than ever before. Whether it’s a trip to the nail salon or gym, making time for myself should never be optional.

Playing out the worst-case scenario in my head. “What if….” I say this way too often. I’m a planner by nature, and with that comes planning for the worst just in case. While sometimes this is necessary—like making sure we have what we need in case we lose power in a snowstorm—there are other times it’s a waste. For example, playing out the worst case birth scenario for baby #2 will do no one any good. It stresses me out, stresses my husband out, and is all around BLAH.

Not asking for help. I’m not someone who likes to ask for favors. I recently wanted to help my husband out by mowing the lawn…at 7 months pregnant. Not my best idea. He had been traveling, and our lawn was out of control. Luckily I didn’t seriously hurt myself, but there are times it’s best to call on someone else to do it, which I did. One of the best things we ever did was hire a housekeeper to come every other week to help clean the house. I could clean myself, but having this help makes life so much easier. It’s worth it.

What’s a bad mom habit you need to break? 

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Vera Sizensky
Vera is the digital director for HealthyWomen.org, a non-profit organization that Dr. Oz calls "the leading health resource for women." Before HealthyWomen, Vera spent several years editing and producing content for the popular digital editions of SHAPE and Women’s Health magazines. Nothing makes her happier than connecting with women who work hard and play hard. Vera earned a journalism degree from the University of Florida and lives with her husband Brian and daughter Lena (born 8/25/13) in Southport, CT.

3 Things About Vera
Fill in the blank: If I had 10 minutes to myself, I would: "Take a long, hot shower."
Describe your perfect day: "Exercise, beach, nap, evening on the back deck with a glass of wine and the fire pit roaring."
Favorite thing to do in your spare {ha!} time: "Discovering new places—restaurants, playgrounds, hiking trails, etc."

Twitter: @VeraSiz

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