There is NO such thing as a perfect Mum (or Dad)!!
It is all about trying your best and working from that. There will be good days and equally bad days, there will be days when everything goes right and equally days where everything goes wrong. You will feel on top of the world at some points and others so low you don’t want to go on. But you do and must because you are a parent – above all else that comes first. The love you feel for your child is above anything you will ever feel – it becomes the most important love and most important thing to you.
I have been thinking a lot about this during the week after a friend asked if I found it harder being a parent than being a Nanny, or at least different. I could answer that easily – Yes!
As a Nanny the children would have set rules with me: Main meals before pudding, no treats if they hadn’t eaten most of the main meal, set lunch and tea times (to an extent), we tried hard to tidy up before the parents came home, they would be bathed and in their p.j’s ready for bed and when they got older they would have set nap times (also to an extent if home) and set bedtimes and bedtime routines if I was babysitting – and they would go to bed on their own without me staying with them when they were older. If their parents wanted to change any of these things when I wasn’t around then that was entirely up to them as they are their children after all.
So do I do all of the above still now I’m a parent? Quite simply No! I break all of the rules I set when I was working. Do I feel bad about it? If I asked myself that same question last week I would have probably said yes, however on good reflection of it today I have decided the answer is No.
At the weekend Emmy had Chocolate for breakfast, I forgot to make her brush her hair and they had a movie night camp out on Friday night with us all having a late night sleeping downstairs. We ate dinner late one evening and skipped lunch entirely opting for ice-creams while in the park and they both watched far too much TV when overtired. They also both like a Coca-Cola when out to dinner/lunch as a treat, although Harry does now know to ask for ‘Harry coke’ – sugar-free as otherwise, he becomes hyper. Does it make me a bad parent? Of course Not!! It makes me a happy parent with happy children.
Not all days are like; that, in fact, Emmy’s favourite food is my home-made Leek and Potatoe Soup and she will happily eat peas until they are coming out of her ears, while Harry LOVES Sushi and beetroot.
There is no point to this post I just wanted to share with you that we are allowed to not do things by the book but if you are happy and so are your children then you are doing a great job!!
Don’t be judged by others – parenting comes with NO RULE BOOK.
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