In the day and age of social media, everyone has an opinion about good parenting, whether they are one or not. Everyone is an expert – and living up to such high standards, when paired with the reality of what parenting is, can make being a good parent seem impossible.
From the outside looking in, parenting is seemingly easy. However, when you really take a closer look, those mundane tasks that make up the life of a parent are a lot harder than they may seem. Parents are responsible for not only taking care of themselves, but also taking care of another tiny little human being and making sure all of their needs are met to the fullest.
Add to that the flood of information that is now available and often in our faces online, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Being a parent is not an easy task. And if you have doubts about that, check out the following 8 things that make being a good parent impossible.
1. Being surrounded by “shoulds.”
“You really shouldn’t feed them that,” says Becky on the corner who knows absolutely nothing about parenting, let alone your style of parenting. But, that doesn’t stop the various ‘shoulds’ you will hear throughout your parenting journey from bothering you on a deep level as a parent. And once you’ve heard them a million times from everyone around you, you will start to create an echo chamber of ‘shoulds’ within your own mind. Instead of letting these thoughts and words from others get to you, learn to trust in yourself. You are the parent, and you know what is best for your baby. Stay educated- but don’t get muddled down in the ‘shoulds.’
2. Kids can be crazy.
Children are unpredictable and have little minds that haven’t fully developed. There are times when they will test your patience beyond measure, and make you wonder what in the world is wrong with them. There is no perfect way to handle every situation- and no two kids are the same. Sometimes, you have to take a step back and regroup, and that is perfectly okay!
3. Anxiety
Whether you have an anxiety disorder, or you are just experiencing the anxiety of raising mini-humans, it can be daunting to be the perfect parent with the weight of the world on your shoulders. With so much to worry about- it can seem impossible to make the right decisions with your children at all times. Take a step back. No one is perfect and you are doing the best you can.
4. Children come with a learning curve.
Parenting is a journey, and there will be moments in which you feel like a failure, or you make the wrong decision. Take your failures and use them to do better next time. Mistakes will happen and that is okay. This learning curve can make parenting seem impossible- but you are not alone.
5. Everyone is watching.
For parents, from the time you conceive until the moment your child becomes an adult- it feels like the world is watching, and constantly judging. And while they likely are judging- the only people who have any legitimate say so in the raising of a child is their parents. Everyone else should be considered with a grain of salt.
6. It never ends.
Unlike a job that has set hours, vacations, and weekends off- parenting is non-stop. 24/7, every single day, and forever. But the good thing is- at the end of the day, as parents, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
7. The stakes are high.
There is nothing more important than your child, and there is no room for major mistakes. You may worry you are going to do it wrong, and end up leading them to failure. You may worry that something bad will happen and they will get hurt. Understand that no one is perfect, children don’t come with a handbook and as long as you are doing your best, and learning along the way, to let your worries go as best you can.
8. There is so much to do.
Wake up, get them bathed, dress them, feed them, clean up the kitchen, change them, play with them, take them outside for exercise, take them to karate class, do laundry, clean the house, feed them, rinse, lather and repeat. If this sounds exhausting- it is. No matter how much a parent does, there is still more to do. The best you can do is handle your priorities, make sure they are nourished inside and out and try to catch a little ‘me’ time whenever you can.