The Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation is excited to present: The MotherPod, a podcast designed by moms, for moms, to create conversations focused on staying healthy through the journey of motherhood.
The first episode of The MotherPod focuses on Mom Stress and attempting to find work/life balance with guest Pam Tauscher, host of MomsEverday. MomsEveryday is a half hour television show focused on helping make moms’ lives easier, where no topic goes untouched, and is meant to bring moms together to talk about the challenges and successes of motherhood. Mom stress is one of those challenges.
When it comes to the root of her stress, Pam says growing up a simple Midwestern life played a big role; the pressures to do right by everyone, please everyone, and the guilt of putting in a full day’s work. Since becoming a mom, Pam shares that stress seems to be a package deal with her children and that it changes and continues from one stage of life to the next. In today’s society she agrees that social media has brought on many new pressures and stressors. Scrolling through social media in downtime turns into comparisons and the “Why doesn’t my family look like that?” guilt. However, she says that mom stress happens to moms of all demographics and socioeconomic statuses, and although those stressors may be different, they are stressors nonetheless.
Pam also questioned the notion of why moms feel guilty when they take time for themselves. She says that more mothers need to be cutting themselves some slack because there is no book that lays out every twist and turn that occurs. When Pam finds time to relax she says she tries to disconnect from social media and open a book or a magazine with the occasional glass of wine. She reassures all mothers that every mom does things differently; there is no magic trick or guide. When mothers start driving themselves crazy with the question, “Am I doing this right?” Pam gave a wonderful reminder that all moms should keep in mind: “I am doing the best I can and if anyone is going to make the right decision about it, it’s going to be me.”
To hear everything Pam has to say about mom stress, head to Sound Cloud to listen to TheMotherPod.