Who is the perfect parent?
*The humble parent who isn't too prideful to apologize to their child?
*The present parent who shows up to support their child?
*The strong parent who shows no fear?
*Some would say Josh and I might have to agree. <3 Ha! <I added that for you babe! >
We - as parents- all had different experiences that have greatly influenced how we raise our children. We shouldn't compare parenting styles because our styles are a result of who we are, how we were raised and where we were raised.
Parenting styles are also different based on the children we are raising. Each child is different. Some children learn better with hands on experience while others learn better by reading. Some children learn better by asking questions.
EACH CHILD IS DIFFERENT.
EACH PARENT IS DIFFERENT.
People who generalize the "perfect parent" into a guide are only showing their ignorance. There are too many variances in parenting to write a perfect guide to follow.
So who is the perfect parent?
The perfect parent is the one who asks for help.
Help can come from a spouse, family, neighbors, the church, the schools or a babysitter.
What do we get help with? Whatever you need. Don't be afraid to ask.
ask someone to pickup the grocery order
ask someone to watch the kids for a few hours
ask someone if the kids can sit with them in church.
ask someone if they can come over just to hang out with you. Having an adult conversation is so important while we are parenting.
The moment you become a parent, you begin wearing multiple hats: the mom/dad hat, the worker hat, the husband/wife hat and the hat that represents you as a person. I caution you- when you wear one hat for too long, the others begin to gather dust. YOU are important. Don't let your own hat sit layered under dust. If your husband/wife hat gets a little too dusty you'll start to see issues in your marriage. Life takes balance. The help we ask for can help build that balanced environment.
Naturally, children are precious and we never want to put children in a situation that would cause them harm or put them in danger. Your children deserve your very best. Not the parent that's soo tired, worn out and exhausted. Not the parent that's too busy to play or talk with them.
>>When we get help it gives us a chance to rest and regroup to become the very best version of ourselves.
>>When we are living in the best version of ourselves our kids can get our best.
>>When we are able to give our children our best they can grow into the best version of themselves.
You can do it.
In love and kindness,
Jen