thedifferentmomblogI hear it all of the time, so I know you hear it. But when did it get like this? In fact, single motherhood was so taboo, many women wore it like a Scarlet Letter. But, somewhere a shift happened, and single moms are looked at as superheroes now. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my accomplishments, but having that title slapped upon me adds unnecessary pressure. So, I beg you, please stop telling single moms they are superwomen.
Single motherhood is difficult. It is pressure, but society may think we make it look easy, but there are struggles they know nothing of. And this label/title only adds to the struggle.
Feeling the pressure because society won’t stop telling single moms they (we) are superwomen
Us single mothers go through life with this pressure of perfection building and building and eventually that lid has to be removed.
One way or another, the lid will come off. Either we remove the lid ourselves, or as awful as it may sound, the lid will blow off.
So why won’t it stop?
The chants just seem to get louder and louder.
And these chants and “encouragements” are not always things we need to hear.
When you hear it over and over, you are ultimately going to believe it. It is not all bad, but it can have its downside. Single mothers start expecting to be superwoman and believing that failure is not an option when you have that “S” on your chest.
The people around you will look at you crazy when you show a weakness that they did not give you permission to have.
It simply is not realistic to keep thinking of single moms as superwoman,
because single moms are vulnerable, have weakness, and needs too.
We aren’t superhuman. There is no superhuman strength. And we cannot be all the things all the time, despite what ANYONE thinks.
There will be mess ups, and the bounce back is not as pretty as it may appear to the outside world. But yes, single mothers want to succeed, and want success. However, there is added pressure and a fear that goes along with that drive.
That fear of success if they keep labeling us as superwomen, because they’ll expect more
If society keeps seeing us with no weakness or only one weakness, we will have that fear of what more will they demand from us.
And when everyone else is expecting more, will I be able to deliver.
By putting that label on us, society leaves us with no choice but to succeed all the time in all the areas.
So what do we do when we keep hearing the voices in our heads, or hearing it from society that we are superwoman, and to keep going?
How do you let go of unnecessary pressures you that keep adding up?
Set boundaries and block out the noise when all you keep hearing is that you are superwoman
Simply say no. That is a good way to start.
You cannot keep biting off more than you can chew. You will stress out and you will burn out. Then you will lose focus and start dabbing in business and tasks that are productive. You want to remain focused on what is important so you can be successful.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask for help in whatever area you need it. Reach out.
A few other things you can do to avoid falling into the trap when society won’t stop calling you superwoman
- Learn to manage your time
- Focus/Remember your Why and your goals
- Practice self care
To hear about other effects if people do not stop calling single moms superwomen, check out this video. Or you can see this and more in my Single Mom Empowerment and Growth Facebook Groups
