I had just arrived home from four days in Colorado. It was one o'clock in the morning and I realized that I had to do a few things to prepare for a meeting the next day. My mind was spinning with the massive to-do list in my head. The hubby was chatting away, trying to tell me about his trip to Ohio that same weekend. We hadn't seen each other for several days.

With a jolt, I realized that I wasn't paying attention. I recognized that old, familiar feeling that was creeping inside of me:

I felt guilty.

Substitute any old thing and Mr. Guilt pays a visit.

Are you having a day where dishes are piled high, the toilets need to be wisked, the laundry folded and put away? The kids spilled juice two days ago on a corner rug and you just haven't gotten around to washing it? Mr. Guilt comes knocking at the door.

Have you been feeding your kids junk food for several days in a row? Or worse yet, your four-year-old wants macaroni and cheese for the seventh day--and you serve it? Mr. Guilt nags at you to shape up and get some broccoli in those kids.

Does your toddler still have a binky in his mouth and your mother-in-law wants to know when he's going to stop? What kind of parent are you, Mr. Guilt wants to know.

And what about that glass of wine you drank when you were a few months pregnant? Guilt, guilt, guilt.

Fortunately, there's a book out there that deals with guilt. It should be on the shelf of every mom. It is called Mommy Guilt, and the authors are Devra Renner, Julie Bort, and Aviva Pflock.

Stop stressing and start enjoying your children, they say!

The very best part is their seven steps to managing guilt and enjoying parenthood:

1. You must be willing to let some things go.

2. Parenting is not a competitive sport.

3. Look toward the future and at the big picture. Don't become overly hung up on the here and now.

4. Learn when and how to live in the moment.

5. Get used to saying yes more often and being able to defend your no.

6. Laugh a lot, especially with your children.

7. Make sure you set aside specific time to have fun as a family.

As I read through this list, I realized that I learned these steps long ago. I also remember the time when I learned to manage guilt in my life-- it was when I was pregnant with my third child.

It was a revelation that came from making the decision to have my child at home. Once I made that decision, I stopped conforming to "the norm." I started blazing my own paths in parenting my kids. I noticed that I no longer had those creeping feelings of guilt popping up. I enjoyed parenting my kids and learned to love the journey that we were all on together.

After all, like the authors say, we moms need to "fend off the guilt and focus on what really matters."