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Saying no to mommy guilt

Susan Orenstein, a Cary-based psychologist and relationship expert, says we need to get mommy guilt out of our lives. Orenstein, a mom, is a scheduled speaker at the upcoming Happy Mama Conference & Retreat in Durham.

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Susan Orenstein is a Cary-based psychologist and relationships expert. But that doesn't mean this mom of two doesn't know a thing or two about mom guilt - those constant questions about whether you're doing right by your kids. 

But Orenstein, who will be a scheduled speaker at the Happy Mama Conference & Retreat in Durham later this month, says mom guilt isn't doing any of us any favors.

"The good news is we know it's super super important to pay attention to our babies and our children," she said. "The bad news is we haven't figure out that balance." 

The retreat is organized by North Carolina-based moms who have written about their own children's special needs. They include Adrienne Ehlert Bashista, the co-editor and contributor to "Easy to Love but Hard to Raise: Real Parents, Challenging Kids, True Stories" and Penny Williams, a freelance writer who has written about her son's ADHD diagnosis. 

The conference and retreat, scheduled for July 25 to July 27 at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham, is designed for moms with children with "invisible" special needs. The weekend includes speakers on wellness, self-care and overcoming mom guilt, along with activities such as yoga and Zumba.

Orenstein of Orenstein Solutions will take on the topic of mom guilt at this month's retreat. And she'll be talking about it here on Go Ask Mom for the next few weeks as well. 

While the focus of the retreat is moms of children with special needs, Orenstein said mom guilt is something we all need to tackle. It can be a kind of smoke signal that something is really troubling us, she said.

"They feel bad," she said. "They can't really attend to their kids. ... It's important to check and see what's going on." 

Watch the video interview to hear more from Orenstein and check back on Wednesday for more.

Go Ask Mom features local moms and what they're doing every Monday.

 

 

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