“Strive for progress, not perfection” is a common saying that I am constantly reminding myself of, especially when it comes to parenting. You see, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. We may hear this from time to time, but what if we could really accept it? What if we could simply allow ourselves to make mistakes (we are human, after all) and not always have it “together?”
I came into this work because I felt like I had *NO CLUE* what I was doing as a new mom. My years of psychology training hadn’t prepared me for the long, sleepless nights, the “how come I don’t know why he’s crying (and when will it stop)!?!?” moments, the endless bombardment of baby gadgets all guaranteed to make my baby “happier, smarter, stronger,” the conflicting feelings that ranged from the joy of having a new, beautiful and precious child to the sadness and grief over feeling like my freedom was being taken away and life as I had always known it would never be the same.
I wanted so desperately to “do it right” and be the “best mom” I could and put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself. I had so many questions, not so many answers. Eventually, once I started to get the hang of things, I dove head first into the field of parenting and mindfulness to find some answers and support. Knowing I wasn’t the only one feeling flustered, anxious and overwhelmed was transformative.
Parenthood is no joke. The responsibility we have in raising little humans can, at times, feel completely overwhelming. Yet, somehow, we do it. We persevere. We get up each and every day and do the very best we can and that, my friends, is something to be celebrated.
Please know you are not alone – we’re all on this crazy, bumpy and exhilarating ride together. And, as I’m so glad I learned, it’s OK to not have it all together. I do this for a living and *still* don’t always have it together. No one does! The vulnerabilities we *all* have and share are what allow us to feel connected…and that’s a beautiful thing.
The thing is, our kids don’t need us to be perfect – we need to let that idea go. They need us to show up, have patience as they learn, see them for who they are (not who we want or need them to be), seek to understand what they’re experiencing and fully, unconditionally accept them AND OURSELVES – messiness and all!
Here’s to enjoying the journey together 
❤️