A few Truths Behind Parenting

People often think that parenting will be easy peasy, a walk in the park, cute clothes and fancy bows, pretty pictures of their smiling babies and lovely moments of closeness and cuddling. Very quickly reality sets in when sleep has been deprived, work deadlines have come and gone, piles of laundry continue to grow and there are more dishes and bottles on the counter than in the cupboards.  They soon find that the road to keeping their children alive, whole and happy is much more challenging than expected and that is where the fun begins. Okay, when I say fun I really mean challenging but if challenges are not made to be fun than what is the point? In a post by Hello Beautiful, several celebrities were interviewed on parenthood and the truth about it. 

Michelle Obama, America's beloved first lady, shares “I was at the time was a breastfeeding mother of a 4-month-old — and I didn’t have a babysitter, so I promptly took Sasha to the interview with me. And I thought, look, this is who I am”. How any times have you been in the same situation where no one available to watch the baby, toddler, pre-teen and you had to be somewhere important to be? A pretty bold move for Mrs. Obama, if you ask me.  Most people would not have taken a risk such as this out of fear of not gaining the position they desired. What I find inspiring about this is that she just did not care. Her daughter was her focus, more so than the potential job, and if the interviewee could not understand and accept her as she was, a parent, wife, future employee and so much more, than that job more than likely would not have been a good fit for either one of them. 

Parenting today has become increasingly difficult to navigate. The work-life balancing act is one more stress that many parents face and there is no perfect solution to this problem. You want to be there for your children when they are sick, injured, sad, happy, and experiencing life, but you also have to work to provide the basic life necessities. You don't want to let your employer down but you equally don't want to let your child/children down. Sometimes there is no winning the battle to balance the two. All parents can do is be present in both worlds. Family Lives offers some advise to all of those/us who are parenting: Come in relaxed... Make one night special... Eat together. Simple suggestions that have the power to make a difference in both worlds. 

My advice, take risks, worry less about what others think and more about what is right, what matters and how it will impact you in the long run. Who cares if you don't get that specific job you interviewed for because you needed to bring your baby.  It probably wasn't a place you would want to be anyway. Who really cares if the dishes are not finished? Well,  maybe your mother in law but so what. When they are acting like demon babies and you are considering calling an exorcist remember the time you behaved the same. Heck, it very well could have been yesterday, so relax and smile. It probably hasn't been the first time it happened and it certainly won't be the last. For today, be at peace with your decisions, be happy, love every moment and make sure to take a little time for you. Remember that you are just as important as your children and deserve to live your best life as well. 

I would love to hear back from you. Feel free to post your own stories, feedback or ideas. Here's to living your best life, Shaloe