Mom Guilt: Are you feeling excited to send your child back to school? You're not alone!

HOUSTON – Moms and dads, has this been a long summer for you? Are you a parent whose kids are finally heading back to school today? Are you really happy about it? You are not alone.

Some moms tell Channel 2 they are ready, they are excited and they've got a message for other moms who may be feeling guilty about all of these emotions.

"You've got to take care of yourself first because if you can't take care of yourself and you're not who you are and what you want to be, then you can't give anything to your family," said mother Lauren Springman.

For parents, back-to-school time can be full of mixed feelings: exhaustion, sadness, happiness.

The end of summer can bring them all on at once, says Audrey Omenson, a clinical director and counselor at Nick Finnegan Counseling Center.

The most important thing to do is give yourself a little grace.

"As you take care of yourself, you're helping yourself be a better parent because you are calmer, you're more like yourself and you're less likely to snap and react because you're exhausted ... you are able to be fully present with your kids when you are able to be with them," Omenson said.

"It's a natural feeling because you're feeling like you're letting your kids down by being excited, but at the same time, you need to think about everything you've done for your children," said mother Afsoon Harrison.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting them to have a schedule, and getting back to school, they need to learn they are also benefiting from going to school. They need the structure, they need to be with their peers," said mother Brooke Coble.

The mothers have one more good piece of advice: These guilty feelings will not last forever.

"The more time that goes on you feel less guilty," Coble said.

And if you still feel bad that you are happy your kids will be back in school, Omenson said to try to treat this time of year as a sort of a new beginning.

You can set some new goals for yourself as a parent, get involved in a new activity or a cooking class.

If nothing else helps, try reaching out and talking to a professional.