Throughout my ongoing journey of motherhood, I’ve had many moments where I truly felt like I’ve failed as a mom.

When your toddler doesn’t listen to you.
When he does things you didn’t expect, or things you don’t like.
When he hits you.
When he says, “I don’t want to play with you.”
When he throws a tantrum even at the sight of you.

Those moments feel like failure, don’t they?

When your kid doesn’t seem to like you anymore, or at least makes you feel that way sometimes, it really hurts.
It’s hard to handle situations like these.
Especially when you’ve been working all day, sitting through meetings, and suddenly your little one seems to prefer someone else’s company…
Maybe because they gave him more sweets, more screen time, more play, more presence.
And you? You’re just the one who comes in to correct, to say “NO,” to restore the balance.

You start to wonder… Do I even have the right to correct him anymore?
Am I even allowed to show up halfway through the day and try to do the “mom” job?

These feelings come as a bittersweet part of motherhood.
There have been many instances where I’ve broken down, just overwhelmed with guilt, exhaustion, and the weight of feeling like I’ve failed.

But you know what, mama?
That’s not your whole story.

That’s just the guilt part. The downside.
The part no one prepares you for when they show you smiling baby pictures.

Because this journey, this intense, love-soaked, guilt-ridden journey of motherhood is full of moments like these.

And yet, through those meltdowns and breakdowns, a few things have helped me stay grounded:

• Talking to other moms, my mom, or MIL
  Sometimes just sharing these thoughts aloud helps you see your situation from a gentler lens.
• Spending some good quality time with your little one
  Not to fix things, not to prove anything – just to be.
  That connection helps both of you regulate your emotions and remind each other: we’re okay.

These tough moments?
They don’t make you any less of a mother.
They don’t cancel out the love, the effort, the tears, or the presence you bring day after day.

You are not too much, and not too little.
You are just right for your child.
You are the perfect mother for what your little one needs.
You are what his soul needs.
You can definitely have a better relationship with them, but never doubt yourself as a mother.

Remember, out of the million people on this planet, your little one chose you to be their mama.

You’re not failing.
You’re showing up, in the messy, honest, human way that real love looks like.

And that is more than enough.

Have you ever had such feelings of doubt and guilt, too?
Share your story in the comments – let’s remind each other that we’re not alone.