Being a good parent doesn’t mean that you don’t have bad moments. We all do. We are all human. This is an excerpt from my personal blog that I wrote back when I was pregnant with my youngest and struggling with my toddler. And just a reminder to those of you who know a parent, remember that photos are just a moment in time. If a parent tells you they’re struggling, but their Instagram and Facebook feeds look otherwise – believe them.
This too shall pass.
I am trying to teach my children about kindness. I am trying to teach them to respond to people kindly and to love them despite their flaws. Instead, I want to scream and yell and walk out the door, never to return. But I don’t. Not this time anyway.
A good parent.
What is a good parent anyway?
We all have ideas about what it means to be a good parent. Most of the time, those ideas actually border on “perfect.” But there are no perfect parents. None of us are perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. We are all only human. And human beings are emotional beings.
A good parent doesn’t go through their days never losing their cool. A good parent isn’t the picture of calm every moment of every day. They don’t have everything figured out and they don’t have all the answers.
No, a good parent is not a robot.
Instead, a good parent is one who recognizes their shortcomings. Sometimes, they may scream and yell and lose their cool. Sometimes they say things that they don’t actually mean. Sometimes, they are embarrassed by their reactions. But they do the best they can and apologize when they make mistakes. In doing this, they are teaching their kids that it is okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to have emotions. Kind people make mistakes. Kind people lose their cool.
Even good parents make mistakes and lose their cool.
No, we can’t be a perfect parent. But we can all be good parents. All it takes is love for our children and for ourselves.
So, when you find yourself in a bad moment, remember that that does not make you a bad parent.
It’s just a bad moment.
And bad moments do not make bad parents.
Love Sarah XOXO