DEAR ABBY: I am a 50-year-old mom with three grown daughters. I gave up my whole life to be a stay-at-home parent. I was a room mother at school and a bus driver, and did everything I could to be the best mom my kids could have. Now they are grown with children of their own. I help with the grandkids, but I never feel appreciated.
Advertisement
I tried to do everything the opposite of how my parents raised me. My mother was absent, and my dad was a drunk who abused us. I'm beginning to wonder -- have all the sacrifices I made mattered? Or have I wasted my life trying to be a good mom and no one cares? -- SUPERMOM IN WELSH, LA.
DEAR SUPERMOM: You were a diligent parent when your daughters were growing up, and you have continued generously giving of your time with your grandchildren. But it seems you forgot completely about yourself during those years.
Rather than looking for "appreciation" from your daughters, don't you think it's time you started devoting some time to yourself and your own interests? I do. Take some time for yourself. You have earned it. And, perhaps, if you're less available, you will be more appreciated.