Why "Selfish" Moms Might Just Be Better Moms

Did you hear the super loud uproar over Gisele Bündchen”s recent comments about motherhood? Everyone from newspaper columnists torandom people on Twitter have been calling the supermodel mom super selfish after she urged other mothers to prioritize themselves over their children. Gisele likened her philosophy to travel safety, saying, “You know how they say on the plane that you have to put the oxygen mask on first and then put it on your child? So, I think it is the same, as a mum, to take care of myself.”

While many parents have written off her advice as “clueless” and coming from someone who “doesn”t have to deal with normal motherhood” because she”s wealthy and can afford to hire people to help with her kids, I have to say that I think it”s some of the best parenting advice around—and it”s got nothing to do with money, beauty, or fame.

See, the thing is, that when you as a parent feel good and happy—when you”re taking care of yourself (or putting on your oxygen mask first, as Gisele might say!) you”re going to be so much more capable of helping to guide your little ones through challenges, and you”ll be so much more present to celebrate their accomplishments. Putting yourself first may feel like you”re being a bad parent, but in fact, your whole family will benefit from you making sure your own needs are met first and foremost. Am I suggesting that you should take off on a spontaneous road trip out of town with your friends when your daughter is ill with the flu? No! Of course not, and that”s not what Gisele is suggesting, either. I think what she”s saying is something I often tell my clients—and that I try to live by as well: Happy parents = happy babies and kids. So, even if you can”t afford a yoga retreat on your own this weekend, I hope you”ll still carve out some time to take a relaxing bath, read a good book, or even just treat yourself to some delish ice cream once the children have gone to bed (I highly recommend that every mom starts stocking her own private stash!).