You Are Not Perfect

Parenting

It begins with a man and a woman
Who don't want to live alone,
Then comes the dating and mating
And settling into a home.

The home makes a place for children,
An assortment of boys and girls,
Who need to be nurtured and tended
And shown how to live in the world.

Behind every child with good manners
Is a parent who taught them ways
To be kind to other people
And remembered to give them praise.

It isn't an easy assignment
With so much that must be taught
And most of us keep finding out
That it's harder than we thought.

June Green

  I love that end part of this poem that says...And most of us keep finding out that it's harder than we thought. It is true isn't it? If you are a parent you know. Right now behind me is a child with yet another dirty diaper. I am loathe to change it. I just feel done with dirty diapers I really do and that isn't really even a hard part about parenting (well it is... but compared to everything else its pretty simple). It is a good thing you just can't imagine the challenges parenting will bring and that even when people tell you there about those challenges...  there is this super power (and incredibly naive) part of your brain that thinks YOU WILL BE DIFFERENT. YOU will be the one parent in the world that will not struggle with THAT certain issue (and maybe you wont) but there will be some things that just wont go your way on your parenting journey I can guarantee that. Children have their own minds, their own wills, and their own hearts and no matter how much you want to try to fight it they will live their own life! Letting that happen is, well, sometimes agonizing (I just went and changed that diaper).

   If you are a parent I encourage you to be transparent about the struggles you have. I hear of so many moms who try to appear perfect and act like parenting just isn't a challenge for them. Maybe parenting is pretty easy for you. However you are not perfect and no one needs to hear how perfect you are. It isn't going to make anyone feel encouraged or wonderful or amazing. They are going to feel like crap okay ~ pure crap. Also if you are past that new born or toddler stage and are getting sleep at night, or if your baby slept ten hours a night from new born on...you have no idea what a sleep deprived mom is going through so don't give stupid advice!  Just give them a chance to rest (that was random but I needed to say it)!!!! Anyway my toddler has this weird substance in his hair that has caused it to be glued to his forehead right now. I  am putting off washing him because he screams like I am killing him if water is directed anywhere by his head. My other two children at home are playing some random game where they can't touch the floor and there are stuffed animals attached to long pieces of rope. I need to finish vacuuming and laundry and do dishes and you know...all that glamorous stuff. My toddler has reached a stage of trying out bad words and hitting and he responds to any sort of correction with wide open mouth screaming. It's precious. So while trying to accomplish the house chores I will be periodically peeling him off siblings and dealing with the screaming. Have a great day! xo