Parenting is one of the roles in life that throws everything at you. Highs, lows, confusion then clarity, failure and success in seconds, feeling accomplished and guilty all at once.
You can be riding the crest of a wave until a curve ball knocks you off, and it brings the best and the worst out in you. Being the best and the worst parent, doing everything while wanting to do nothing. Crawling into bed after three nights of no sleep, having that one good nights sleep in years. Thinking ‘you’ve got this’ to ‘What the hell just happened’. Everything going your way to walking around the shop with puke in your hair…
The roller coaster of emotions, pride, guilt, happiness, sadness, frustration, excitement, numbness, strength, weakness, helpless, powerful, in control, winging it, walking tall, crawling on the floor, elation, confusion, worry, stress etc.
The mass of roles that come with the job – triage nurse, doctor, taxi, mediator, negotiator, counsellor, guide, role model, banker, cheerleader, costume maker, party organiser, dreams come true maker, cleaner, cook, emotional bank, alarm clock, confidence builder, dentist, story teller and listener, singer, teacher, coach, nag, parent, experience provider, protector, saviour, boundary setter, emotional guide, wellbeing coordinator, referee, lie detector, the list goes on.
And still, we as parents compare ourselves to unrealistic and unachievable ‘picture perfect’ parenting .We are left wondering if we are ever doing a good job on behalf of some of the most precious and loved people in our lives. We question our capabilities and our decisions, put under pressure to be at home and to work or risk failing and still we keep going.
Multiply it by however many children you have and you have a recipe for failure. But KNOW AND HEAR THIS, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, WHATEVER YOU ARE SELF PUNISHING, SELF BLAMING OR SELF JUDGING FOR – LET IT GO AND GIVE THAT TIME TO YOUR CHILDREN BY PRACTICING SELF KINDNESS AND COMPASSION. Your children will thank you for it.
I BELIEVE IN YOU