The Guilt Gremlin

So I finish feeding the baby in the morning, put her in her bouncy seat, and head over to the computer to munch on cereal and read emails...wait! Should she be in my lap? Should I be staring at her as I eat? *panic*

Next, I lay on the ground to play with her. I offer her a toy and she shoves it in her mouth. I offer her another toy with repeat results...wait! Should I be reading to her? Showing her flashcards? Teaching her baby sign language? Agggghhhhh!

Does anyone else experience this? I call this the guilt gremlin, that little voice in your head that convinces you that no matter what you do, you could be doing that SAHM thing a bit better. When the baby was 3 months old, I asked my mom if there was anything in particular that I was supposed to be doing with her. "Worried that you're slacking?" she asked. Um, yeah! Being at home all the time, it feels like it's my job to attend to the home & baby every hour of the day. And the guilt starts to creep up on me anytime I: 1) let her play alone, 2)flick on Sesame Street, or 3) play with her in such a way that she isn't learning a darn thing.

I know at her age, everything is a learning experience, but that thought doesn't do anything to drown out that pesky gremlin. As I said, I feel like I can never do this job to my/its satisfaction.

So what do YOU do? Do you hear this nasty creature? Do think that naming characters in your head is bizarre and I need to chill? Let's hear it.