I am not the best mom. There, I said it for the whole world to see. The truth is we are all one spilled sippy cup or one dropped ice cream away from our own meltdown. We have the weight of the world on our shoulders, even with an incredible support system, and yet one more dropped Gold Fish in the car and I am turning around and going back home. Social media doesn’t help either, always painting a perfect picture of families and motherhood.
This year, I have decided I’m okay with just being okay.
So mom, did you yell at your child because they didn’t finish their perfectly crafted Bento box for lunch? IT’S OKAY. You’re not alone, not even a little bit. Another mom I know paid over $100 for aquarium tickets and her kid’s favorite part? The escalator. Kids don’t come with an instruction manual and even if they did, they are often like Ikea furniture: directions with no words and often more parts than needed. You just put it together and pray for the best.
I wish I could have a do-over for my son’s first year of life.
I allowed myself to be so focused on attempting “perfect” parenting that I soon realized I was missing out. When you let go of capturing the perfect photo or complete control, and embrace the chaos, that’s when moments happen. Why was I allowing this unrelenting pressure to get in the way of being the parent I wanted to be? I was spending way too much energy attempting to be this ridiculous, unattainable notion of a “perfect” mom. I let go of worrying about the types of food my son was having and instead, my focus is now on whether he ate. I also have learned to pick my battles when appropriate by understanding my son’s limitations. When I know he is tired, I don’t force him to pick up his toys. I know it would end in two meltdowns (mine and his) and that’s a battle we can fight tomorrow.
Trying to be a perfect mom creates an undeniable amount of pressure with an unrealistic goal. Unfortunately, everything we see on a daily basis points us in that direction. Social media shows us daily chore charts, organized playrooms, organic homemade baby food, and chemical free cleaning materials. Yet, here I am with my Clorox wipes, Disney+, and peanut butter and jelly for dinner. My approach to parenting is going to be different than yours, but neither is wrong. We are all navigating this world of motherhood together.
I am okay with being the “World’s Most Okay-est Mom.” This is the approach I have taken; one day, I will look back and laugh at the unplanned chaos, 7000 pounds of peanut butter we’ve consumed, and all the Disney movies we have memorized. When I slip back into trying to be the perfect mom, I remind myself how much fun we have when things go unplanned.
