When I think of all the emotions I associate with motherhood, most are really wonderful…love, empathy, pride, hope. But another biggie creeps in… guilt.

Over and over I see wonderful mothers who can’t help but blame themselves for all of their child’s woes. When my son was only 15 months old, he sliced his hand on a can I had just thrown in the trash. I saw him go for it, but didn’t get there in time to stop him. He needed six stitches. I was fairly calm under the circumstances, but I knew it was my fault. Just like all the other mothers I see with injured children, I was blaming myself. I was guilty.

We know who we are. Did we feed them enough or too much? Are they warm or cool enough? Is the house clean enough? Too clean, too scheduled, too much?

I don’t really know where all that negative stuff comes from (maybe our mothers?), but I do know we don’t have to keep up the tradition. I spend the better part of my day reassuring parents that they are doing the right thing. And usually, they really are. It also turns out that our children will thrive in spite of us, in spite of themselves. Work for a balance as best you can, but try to leave guilt out of it.

Guilt ranks right up there with other stress hormones and they all take a big toll on our well being. Just say NO to guilt, and mean it. No, I won’t feel guilty or take responsibility for every failing, every problem my family encounters. Keep your sense of humor and life’s little crises won’t seem so bad.

Check out a few good books on the subject, like Motherhood without Guilt, by Debra Rosenberg or Mommy Guilt, by Julie Bort, Aviva Pflock and Devra Renner. If you don’t feel guilty anymore, your family won’t have to feel guilty for making you feel guilty. Then everyone feels better. Hooray!

More articles by Dr. Pat in Healthy Lifestyle.

Photo courtesy of Sourcebooks, Inc.

The Hills star Lauren Conrad recently attended Animal Fair’s 2008 “Paws for Style” event to benefit the Humane Society. The event consisted of an animal designer fashion show with celebrity dog walkers.

Loads of celebrities and designers were slated to attend, and the show was a huge success with one exception — according to Animal Fair, Lauren (who has two rescue dogs of her own) refused to walk a rescue dog down the catwalk. Wendy Diamond, the magazine’s editor, went straight to the press with the information, while Lauren has notified the public through her MySpace page that she fulfilled her agreement and was happy to take part in the event, and nothing had been mentioned beforehand about walking the catwalk.

The controversy is unfortunate — it sounds like it was a misunderstanding, and now both sides are getting some negative press from it. However, the good news is that attention is being paid to an event and organization that raises money and awareness for shelter animals and rescue organizations.

Lauren, for her part, said that, “I was trying to do a good thing and help out a charity by doing everything I agreed to do. I continue to support the Humane Society, as it is a wonderful organization.”

Photo courtesy of justjared.com

I don’t think any of us harbored a doubt that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s baby girl wouldn’t want for a thing, and they’ve proved that to be true beginning with the nursery. They began with a crib from Q Collection Junior.

Fortunately for Baby Sunday, money isn’t really an issue for her mom and dad — the cribs in this line run around $1200. However, if peace of mind is priceless, that’s probably a good deal — Nicole can feel confident that her baby is sleeping in a crib made from only proven non-toxic materials and that it was made in a sustainable manner to keep the planet healthy and safe. As a matter of fact, Q Collection Junior’s motto is People Safe. Planet Safe.

Nicole and Keith aren’t the only celebrities digging Q Collection Junior — Gwyneth Paltrow is actually on the front page of the company’s website with a quote about how much she loves their products.

I imagine we can expect more green practices to surround Sunday — Nicole ordered organic linens, clothing, and toys earlier this year, and has spoken about how much she loves nature and organic gardening. You know, I can think of a line skincare products they might want to check out …

Alicia Keys threw a charity ball in London and many of her famous friends joined her to raise money for Keep a Child Alive, Alicia’s charity which helps children and families living with HIV/AIDS in Africa by providing them anti-retroviral treatment.

One of those guests was Jennifer Hudson, who said, “I feel like your celebrity is not about the fortune or the fame. Butif you can’t help anyone then it’s in vain, it’s pointless.”

Other celebs who ponied up $2000 to attend were Kelly Rowland, Mischa Barton, and Annie Lennox. Annie got involved in the evening’s festivities by performing a duet of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and REM’s Everybody Hurts with Alicia.

Alicia said that it’s important we remember that AIDS is a global problem. Though the gala raised nearly $700,000, she knows that it’s not enough — stopping AIDS comes down to each person. She said, “It scares me … It really does… We have a lot to really be careful about and it’s such a major thing that we have to be cautious. But we can totally avoid it by practicing safe sex and, if you can, just abstinence. And definitely being aware of what’s going on so that you know that you want to protect yourself every time, all the time.”

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Yes, I said tree planting — not tree throwing, or tree kicking. It looks like supermodel Naomi Campbell is making an effort to clean up her cell phone-hurling image by taking part in The Abuja Green Society’s tree planting campaign.

The goal of the campaign, based in Abuja, Nigeria, is to plant a tree for each baby born in the region’s hospital. Not only do they hope to give these children a better future by doing so, but also to promote awareness of environmental issues the region faces, specifically the need to find sustainable energy solutions.

The supermodel not only managed to keep her temper in check — she also managed to stay completely clean, and that’s not easy for someone who comes to a tree-planting dressed in white!

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

I love good potato salad, but who has enough time (or calories) to splurge on homemade?

This recipe can’t be beat for simplicity and creamy good taste. I served it recently at a dinner for friends and even the folks who don’t cook were asking how I made it. It’s that good!

Start with a great potato (like Sierra Rose Red Skin Golden Gourmet Potatoes) to get the best taste and texture. Then take 30 minutes or more off the prep time by steaming the potatoes in a paper bag! Just put the washed potatoes in a brown grocery sack, fold the top over, and microwave. (My friend Mariel uses a plastic bag…either one works.)  Slide the skins off after cooking if you prefer, but I leave some on for color and nutrition.

Simply Delicious Potato Salad

2 lbs. (about 5 medium) red potatoes
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup mayonnaise*
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper (optional)

Cool and coarsely chop the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Place them in a bowl with the onion, mayonnaise, and salt. Mix gently and refrigerate before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

*Make this with Best Foods or Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise for a special dinner that is sure to impress. Otherwise, use light or cholesterol-free mayonnaise to cut cholesterol and fat. (You will notice the taste difference in a side by side comparison, but at least you can indulge guilt-free!)

Take things from simple to elaborate with one or more “add-ins” like Dijon mustard, chopped celery, chopped dill pickle or sweet relish, hard boiled egg, capers, etc.

Homemade just doesn’t get any better than…simple and delicious!

More recipes by Dr. Pat…

Jon Bon Jovi spent a little time in Detroit’s East Side earlier this week to lend a hand to a charity with which he’s been involved for three years, Habitat for Humanity. A partnership between Habitat for Humanity, Bon Jovi’s Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, and Saturn’s Hands on Homes will enable the building of many new energy efficient, green homes in the area, beginning with the five that Bon Jovi was there to announce.

These first five homes will be completed by November, and Habitat for Humanity has a total of 100 planned over the next few years. Bon Jovi was excited to be involved with the project, saying, “We really want to revitalize the neighborhood … so that the kids can play in these streets. That’s what America is all about.”

Detroit is a city that’s been hit remarkably hard by recent economic troubles, and since Saturn’s headquarters are there, and Bon Jovi was playing a concert in the city, the joining of forces for this occasion was ideal.

The rocker’s Philadelphia Soul Foundation is named after the arena football team he co-owns, and it’s something he’s extremely proud of, saying, “The Soul Foundation has really differentiated itself from other sports teams … by making community a huge part of its mission statement.”

This isn’t the first time these folks have teamed up. Last year, a similar project was completed in North Philly.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters originally started Broadway Barks as a way to promote the adoption of shelter animals in the New York City area. It has now grown into something more, facilitating communication between shelters and rescue groups so each can benefit from the marketing and promotion of all. And, on July 12th of this year, the 10th annual Broadway Barks event will be held and is sure to attract thousands — last year’s event drew over 6000 attendees.

This year will include an afternoon of fun, an auction of memorabilia signed by celebrities, the finding of forever homes for numerous shelter animals, as well as a book signing. Bernadette will sign copies of her children’s book, aptly titled Broadway Barks. Proceeds of the auction and the book go toward the Broadway Barks organization and toward the plight of homeless animals.

Not only are Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters involved, but celebrities such as Glenn Close and Mario Lopez, plus many other Broadway performers will be there.

If you’re interested in helping but unable to adopt an adorable critter of your own or attend the event, you can still make a donation here.

Photo courtesy of bernadettepeters.com

Cindy Crawford is more familiar with pediatric cancer than you might realize. The supermodel’s younger brother, Jeff, was a leukemia patient at the University of Wisconsin Children’s hospital in 1975. He died just before he turned four years old.

This past weekend, Cindy made some appearances in Madison, Wisconsin, to raise awareness of pediatric cancer. She’s the honorary chair of Kids with Courage, a group that reunites childhood cancer survivors and their families. This year marked the fourth reunion. Cindy took part in the three previous reunions in 1993, 1998, and 2003.

According to the University of Wisconsin, Cindy has been contributing her time and her money to its Pediatric Oncology program for almost two decades. She said, “When I was able to start raising money and awareness, I was able to choose where do I want to give back in my life and this just was the first place that popped into my head.”

The Kids with Courage reunions not only allow patients who survived childhood cancer to see each other again, but also allows the families of children who did not survive to see the children and families they spent time with in the hospital when their child was sick. And, former patients get to see their old doctors, which is great for both of them.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Alternative rockers Pearl Jam raised $3 million for the Robin Hood Foundation by playing a concert in NYC last week. They played a 26-song set at New York’s Beacon Theater, which holds 2,800 people, all to support poverty fighting initiatives in the city.

Some fans paid as much as $2,250 for a ticket, and since the concert was benefiting the Robin Hood Foundation, every cent went toward the cause. The Foundation believes in giving every penny directly to programs to fight poverty, along with identifying and going after poverty at its roots, helping existing programs become more effective, and evaluating programs to ensure everyone is realizing their potential to help.

Pearl Jam announced recently that would be supporting patients fighting health insurance companies for payouts. In fact, Jennifer Jaff (Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness leader) put together a fundraising party for that cause was held the day before the concert.

The band’s guitarist, Mike McCready, brought their attention to the cause because of his battle with Crohn’s disease, which affects the bowel. He says of Jennifer, “It’s super-important for her to fight against the insurance companies that will deny people any kind of coverage for their pre-existing conditions. The work she does is justified, and I love it. We live in the greatest country in the world … but we need to invest our money back into things that look at a broader scope … If people are going to die because some legislation didn’t go through, that, to me, is abhorrent. That’s not what America means to me.”

Well said, Mike – now let’s get those thoughts put to music and bring some more attention to the cause!

Photo courtesy of myrocksite.com