July 27, 2015

#UniteMonday or Mom of the Year Award Goes Not to ME

As parents, we all do things we give ourselves grief over.

At least I THINK we all do.

I know I do.

Instead of feeling guilty about it, I’m joining the Sisterhood of Motherhood and celebrating #UniteMonday. Every Monday follow the hashtag #UniteMonday on Twitter and Facebook and share any of your rules you bent over the weekend or in LIFE. I understand…it’s tough being a parent! No judging…we are all in this thing together.

I look back on some of my decision making fails from when Seven was a baby and wonder what on earth I was thinking. Like…why did I ever dress him in ANYTHING other than a sleeper for the first year of his life? No…I had that boy in denim jeans and leather jackets at 4 months old.

But that’s nothing compared to now.

I try my best not to be a HoverMother. I let him use his own mind, make his own decisions a lot of the time. But he’s so good at it, that I swear, sometimes I forget it’s MY job to be the grown up.

Take for example my packing him for CHURCH CAMP.

Yes, I packed everything. I labeled (with CUSTOM LABELS) every article of clothing, every toiletry, every single thing. I was the MOM BOMB. The boy was PACKED.

With everything, including a giant beach towel from the MGM Grand Casino.

Nothing says Mother of the Year like sending your sweet child to Church Camp with a towel promoting gambling from Sin City.

I totally win at life.

Worse still?

I do crazy things like this all the time.

I let him stay up late on weekends, I ask him to get his own breakfast, I allow too much screen time (I’m pretty sure he thinks some YouTuber named SSundee is related, and he may be, because I recognize him by voice now). But hopefully, I’m not doing it ALL wrong. Hopefully I’m still his favorite Mom, and always will be. I was at least his favorite this morning, when he climbed out of his loft bed and into mine to finish out the last of the dawn. There’s nothing like that little arm draped across my waist, because it makes him feel protected. To watch him sleeping, knowing he is safe and loved, there’s no better reward.

That towel incident did no lasting damage, after all.

Like I said, I totally win at life.

Maybe you do things sometimes that you give yourself grief over. Maybe your kid eats too much candy on Saturday, or maybe you let him dress himself and he ends up in last years swim trunks and a jersey. (Or maybe that’s just me, too) Does it REALLY matter? Is it a sign of failure?

No.

Give yourself a pat on the back…your kid is a good kid, and you’re a good parent. Life is too short to beat yourself up. Support yourself, support other parents. We are ALL struggling! Let’s hold hands and fight the real enemy here…

The kids. They did this to us. Lol!

Follow along with Similac on Facebook and YouTube or find the SisterhoodofMotherhood page for more support for Parents. We’re all in this together!