Parents are Human Too

 

I read this post and could completely relate. I think that many parents can relate to the sense of failure that sometimes overtakes us.

I know there are times I look back and think I should have spent more time with one child, listened more patiently to another, the feeling that time is passing by too quickly and I'm not using it wisely. What if I didn't teach them the right values? Am I sharing the skills that will help them to be strong, compassionate, and capable adults?

I think that it's easy to forget that as parents: We are are human. We are doing the best we can. We try to be super heroes for our children and perpetuate the myth that we know everything and have all the answers.

I don't know about you, but I don't have all the answers.

And guess what? Our parents didn't have all the answers either. When I look back though, I can see how hard my mom worked at parenting. How much she wanted to get it just right despite obstacles.

Sadly, time is often the best way of gaining perspective. It's much harder when you are in the midst of the journey.

My thoughts: If you weren't trying to do your best, you wouldn't be so worried about whether or not you were doing it right. The only option is to learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. A wise parenting coach I once knew lived by the following mantra: Safety and Health are the priorities, everything else is negotiable (or something to that effect).

Yep, sometimes we will mess up. We will fumble a situation. But never let them forget you love them. It's really the most important part of our job.

Oh and the pictures below, remember the part about safety? Well, this is my children hurtling down the side of a mountain. Clearly, I'm a work in progress...