--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether I was working or not, I am not a…" description: "\"Whether I was working or not, I am not a good cook or a good seamstress. I love my kids, and I provide for them, but do I think that I'm a great mom? N..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eac/catherine-reitman-14373_good_whether-i-was-working-or-not-i-am-not-a_895699.jpg" --- # Whether I was working or not, I am not a good cook or a… ![“Whether I was working or not, I am not a good cook or a good seamstress. I love my kids, and I provide for them, but do I think that I'm a great mom? Not by any means, other than that they're full of love. I rely heavily on nannies and my mother and my husband to fill in all over the place where…” quote by Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eac/catherine-reitman-14373_good_whether-i-was-working-or-not-i-am-not-a_895699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eac/catherine-reitman-14373_good_whether-i-was-working-or-not-i-am-not-a_895699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eac/catherine-reitman-14373_good_whether-i-was-working-or-not-i-am-not-a_895699.jpg) > “Whether I was working or not, I am not a good cook or a good seamstress. I love my kids, and I provide for them, but do I think that I'm a great mom? Not by any means, other than that they're full of love. I rely heavily on nannies and my mother and my husband to fill in all over the place where I'm lacking.” [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑assessment reveals gaps in caregiving despite love and support, prompting questioning of maternal adequacy. **In simple terms:** Feeling inadequate despite love and help. Key Takeaway Seek realistic expectations and shared responsibilities. Themes parenthood self‑esteem family dynamics work‑life balance Mood thoughtful empathetic Type personal reflective When to use this quote - parenting - career planning - family support - self‑care routines Key Concepts identity self‑compassion role expectations Questions to Reflect On - What defines a "great" parent? - How can you value love over perfection? A Different Perspective Idealizing motherhood can cause unnecessary guilt and stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-mom/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Nannies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nannies/) ## Related quotes > [I often take things I find in vintage crawls and hand them to a very good seamstress, who then replicates them and makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/i-often-take-things-i-find-in-vintage-crawls-and-hand-them-to-a-very/) [Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/) > [I love my kids more than anything. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/grown-don-t-mean-nothing-to-a-mother-a-child-is-a-child-they-get-2/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I think I'd be a great mom, honestly. I don't think I'll have any problem giving them all the love in the world. Discipline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/i-think-i-d-be-a-great-mom-honestly-i-don-t-think-i-ll-have-any/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [My mother did an incredible job - one, of just being a great mom, but two, of instilling a tremendous amount of empathy into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-spurlock/my-mother-did-an-incredible-job-one-of-just-being-a-great-mom-but-two/) [Morgan Spurlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-spurlock/) > [My coaches were great. My mom and dad. My dad never missed a wrestling meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gable/my-coaches-were-great-my-mom-and-dad-my-dad-never-missed-a-wrestling/) [Dan Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gable/) > [She never said, "No, don't buy that trash," or "Pick a real book." She knew they were all real books. This is how great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-never-said-no-don-t-buy-that-trash-or-pick-a-real-book-she-knew/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I wish I could have been better for her, more of what she deserved. She was a great mom, but that wasn’t me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bry-ann/i-wish-i-could-have-been-better-for-her-more-of-what-she-deserved-she/) [Bry Ann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bry-ann/) > [At the end of the day, I thought to myself, 'What do I want to be doing?' 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I was moving through life at 100 miles an hour trying to further my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-curry/people-close-to-me-called-me-curry-in-a-hurry-i-was-moving-through/) [Ann Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-curry/) > [“One of the things that was great about my mom, as a mom, was that she always knew when she was being kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-mccreight/one-of-the-things-that-was-great-about-my-mom-as-a-mom-was-that-she/) [Kimberly McCreight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-mccreight/) ## More by Catherine Reitman > [You can have a career and kids who love you. But you have to nurture yourself and find a way to be fulfilled so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/you-can-have-a-career-and-kids-who-love-you-but-you-have-to-nurture/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [I love my kids more than anything. I love them more than me in some ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/i-love-my-kids-more-than-anything-i-love-them-more-than-me-in-some/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [There's been times I've been paralyzed by guilt when I've had to work crazy hours or miss a parent-teacher interview.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/there-s-been-times-i-ve-been-paralyzed-by-guilt-when-i-ve-had-to-work/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [Humans are incredibly selfish. 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I'm fed up with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/we-only-see-female-protagonists-who-are-likeable-with-one-cute-flaw/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [I talk about postpartum depression and all these things I don't hear a lot of women talking about on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/i-talk-about-postpartum-depression-and-all-these-things-i-don-t-hear/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [Breastfeeding takes a toll on your body... your spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/breastfeeding-takes-a-toll-on-your-body-your-spirit/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [Flaws are really interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/flaws-are-really-interesting/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > ['Workin' Moms,' obviously, is about mothers who also work. But we're also expected to remain graceful when we return to work, and that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/workin-moms-obviously-is-about-mothers-who-also-work-but-we-re-also/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [We've all been in that metaphoric place, having to scream out what you want in the face of your fears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/we-ve-all-been-in-that-metaphoric-place-having-to-scream-out-what-you/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [Hire women. Trust women. Let them succeed. They are a pleasure to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/hire-women-trust-women-let-them-succeed-they-are-a-pleasure-to-work/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [There's a different expectation, not just on mothers but on women. We're expected to do it all, to have it all, and look good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/there-s-a-different-expectation-not-just-on-mothers-but-on-women-we/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) [Explore all 47 Catherine Reitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) ## More Good quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [Today I didn't even have to even use my A.K ! I got to say it was a good day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/today-i-didn-t-even-have-to-even-use-my-a-k-i-got-to-say-it-was-a/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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