Always thinking of the child, caring for every detail, braving all obstacles… Perhaps all parents in the world share this intention. But how many can truly achieve a perfect score of 100?
Parents are human too. We have days when exhaustion overwhelms us. And this exhaustion is not something that can be fixed by sleeping more or taking a holiday.
It is a deeper kind of fatigue—an exhaustion of the heart and spirit. Worrying about the child’s growth, arranging activities, enrolling in different interest classes… all of it consumes mental energy. This kind of depletion is harder to replenish than physical labor.
The only way forward is to recognize: I have indeed poured immense time and thought into planning everything for my child, and in doing so, I have neglected myself. Admitting this neglect is the first step. Then, I must try to spend a little time each day on myself—even if it is only ten minutes. To sit with myself, to enjoy something I love, to fully immerse in that moment and simply be comfortable as me.
It may seem difficult, extravagant, or time-consuming. Yet if I am willing, I can redirect time toward myself. I can allow myself to have my own time. I can plan moments to accompany myself. Becoming a mother has already made me capable of the impossible—if I am willing, anything is possible.
To have myself, to have my child, and to have others—that is what makes a competent mother. Because only when I know how to love myself, will I have the strength to love my child, and to love the world.
Written for every mother who is trying her best
May you, while loving your child, also remember to love yourself.