I am not a perfect parent. I have at times strived to be the perfect parent. However, each time FAILURE. This is because the perfect parent does not exist. It is utterly impossible not to make a mistake. I think some may think by creating a blog for parents, I may think I am a superior parent. You may have seen me or another mom create a blog and thought, "Who does she think she is? I am a much better parent than she is." Or, have thought, "My parties are much cuter than her parties on her blog." We are all guilty of thinking like that at one time or another. So, just to be clear, I did not start a blog because I think I am a super human parent. I started a blog because I like creating and sharing. I like reading other mom blogs as well. I don't agree with every mother's point of view or parenting tactics, but it is good to read, think and see new and different ideas. This either gives me 1) more conviction in my own ideas or 2) provides me with a new perspective. Sometimes, I just like reading them to hear other 's similar experiences. At least I know I'm not the only one with a daredevil toddler. And, I hope that readers get all of the above from my blog, especially as I spend so much time reading. Hopefully , I can save my readers a bit of research at times.
My blog may be a little different than others because I don't hold hard and fast to any particular parenting philosophy. I think every family is different and there can be many different valuable tools. Not that I don't think some are better than others, I do. I just don't think unbending philosophies work, especially the more extreme they are. I think more extreme points a view like that are really just a way to garner attention and make money.
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I see a lot of value in "attachment parenting," but I only breastfed one of my kids and not for very long. I think "gentle parenting" has a lot of great ideas, but do I often tell my kids, "You are doing this right now and don't argue with me about it." Um, yes. I like to feed my kids organic produce pretty much exclusively at home, and I research pediatric nutrition a lot. On the other hand, my kids adore Happy Meals and are donut fiends. I try to read with them as much as possible and I have filled their playroom with educational toys, but they watch more than the recommended amount of screen time for their ages, I'm sure. So, if you see my kids eating a hot dog in front of the tv, it doesn't mean I don't encourage healthy eating most of the time, or they never exercise. Different moments call for different plans and flexibility. Or, sometimes I may just be making a mistake.
If you also are trying to be a perfect parent like I have, try to change your standard. Or, you and your kids may be unnecessarily unhappy. For example, one early morning I opened the dishwasher got a cup out, poured milk into and handed it to my son. I would say he was about 4 or 5. Then I went for another cup for my middle son and I realized the dishes were dirty. I started crying because I gave my son a dirty cup. He asked me why I was crying, and I told him. He said, "Mom, I didn't even drink out of it yet. No big deal." Well, I thought it was a big deal because he could have gotten icky bacteria or something from the cup, and I should have known better. Well, first off, he didn't. Second, he wasn't bothered by the fact I had made a mistake. Third, now I was making him more upset because I was upset.
So, my point here is . . . Even though I have a blog for parents, I know I am not a perfect parent. I don't think other moms are perfect parents either. We can all just strive to do the best we can. If we fall short and make a mistake, we have to keep moving forward. Remember, you can ask your kids for forgiveness if you feel you need to! Listen to these words from Mr. Rogers.