Do you worry you don't have the 'mothering instinct'?

Being a mother can be so tough sometimes. It's easy to assume there is something wrong with you if you don't always love (or even like) your child. Sometimes the sheer drudge and hard work of motherhood can cause you to worry that you just don't have the 'mothering instinct.'

Maybe sometimes you look at other mothers and wonder how do they do it? They seem to love being a mother so much and are happy in that role.........................  Click the 'Finding Happiness in Motherhood' link above to read more.

• Be fair to yourself
• Be more objective about your good qualities
• Feel better about your self
• Be more confident in your abilities
• Be calm when you think about yourself and your future
• Think more positively .....................Click the 'Building Self Esteem' link above to read more.

Living your life for others is a very worthy sentiment. Research even tells us that helping others sometimes is good for our health.

But it is easy to forget that you can't look after other people's needs effectively until your own needs are at least minimally taken care of.

Always putting others first can make you a doormat to be trodden on. Putting yourself and your need to rest, relax, have fun sometimes, and so on, will make you a better carer, provider or parent because you'll be healthier and have more energy.

Putting yourself first is not selfishness ..............Click the 'Put yourself first' link above to read more.

You love your children but they can drive you crazy! Maybe you are getting too angry with them too often. Children can know just how to wind adults up with just a look sometimes.

Angry outbursts towards your children can leave you feeling guilty and upset.

Sure they need to know when they do wrong and they need to know you mean business but constantly screaming and balling at them exhausts and upsets you and teaches them that shouting is the way to go.

When you are tired and stressed already it can feel so much more difficult to remain calm and patient with your child or children.

There must be another way............ Click the 'Patient Parent' link above to read more.

What is your identity?

An identity is made up who and what you feel you are and also how you feel you are perceived by other people around you. Your identity relates to what you do in life and how much you personally value what you do.

Your sense of identity is also made up of what you feel you are capable of in the future. Do you have a strong work identity? Do you feel respected in the workplace? Are you proud of what you do? Maybe you have a strong home life identity as a mother or grandmother or father. Or maybe you feel that one identity has served it's purpose and now, because of changing circumstances, you need a new strong sense of identity - this might happen, for example, when children leave home or after some other life changing event...............Click the 'Find Your Identity' link above to read more.