Let's get real...
So life is hard, yes? But it's also great! Being a parent is hard, yes? But also great! I'm not perfect; I don't do all the right things. I didn't breastfeed until my kid was one, he doesn't eat all organic, he eats pizza and skittles. I lose my patience when I shouldn't. I'm struggling to keep my head above water 95% of the time.
But I love my son and as much as my issues make me crazy, i.e.: my anxiety/OCD/depression...I push thru it as best I can. Because I don't want to raise a me, I want to raise better than me. Maybe that won't happen, I have no idea, I don't have a crystal ball and I'm not God.
But gosh I'm trying! And can we stop the looks at Target when I give my kid skittles to make him be quiet? I know they aren't organic puffs or carrot sticks, but skittles will keep him calm for a very small window of time and hopefully, I can get thru the checkout line without a meltdown. And sometimes the skittles come out because I just need to be at Target and window shop for 30 min.
We all need to give ourselves a little break. Moms and dads, single parents, or not, we are doing something that we were never taught how to do. There is no class or book that teaches you how to be the perfect parent and raise the perfect child. That's why we need to believe in ourselves just a little bit more. Things are going to be ok, they are good and we don't suck.
My kid watches TV, he eats frozen foods, he eats fruit sometimes. Does that make me a bad mom? Well, I don't think so, it just makes me a human, and a person trying to maneuver this task the best I can. We need to stop beating ourselves up, your kid doesn't want that. They just want you. Like all the time haha! So be kind to yourself, take a break, have a drink, be with your friends. You're good, no one is looking at you the way you see yourself. Your kid certainly doesn't, they think you are freaking Mickey Mouse on a unicorn. So screw it, let's see us the way our kids do! Let's be Mickey Mouse on the unicorn!
Jordan Trueba
