Parenting and Articles
Parenting. Nothing, and I mean nothing prepares you for the journey. I thought I knew it all before I became a mom. After all I had worked with children 0-18 years old in varying capacities. I worked with at-risk children, I worked in a preschool, and I worked as a nanny, all before having children of my own.
So many things spewed from my mouth before having children. Like–“my kid won’t be allowed to use technology for years,” “I can’t believe his parents let him watch Big Bang Theory,” “I will not allow my kids to use my phone at the grocery store or the dinner table.” HAHAHAHAHAHA. I was such a fool to think these things.
Parenting is 24/7. Not like being a nanny or working 8 hours a day and you say good-bye until tomorrow. We are talking sun up to sun down. Sleep becomes a glorious gift, and a moment of silence is golden.
I just read this article about how kids should be asleep by a certain time every night. Yes, whoever you are that did this study, I 100% agree. However, I also realized there is article after article telling us how to raise our kids as if there’s the same guide for every child. But as child number 3 is about to enter the world in a couple of months, I’ve realized every child is different. Whatever works for one child probably won’t work for the next. If it does, you lucked out!!
We are not cookie cutter people. We are so complex, even as babies. You can read every article in the world and beat yourself up for not meeting expectations, or you can choose to accept that God gave this child (or children) specifically to you! Congrats if your kids go to sleep by a certain time every night. Wonderful if they sleep in their own bed or don’t wake up in the night (seriously, that must be wonderful). But in the world of social media don’t compare yourself or your children to others. Your story is going to be different.
The point is there are endless articles on parenting and how to do things the right way. But at the end of the day, do what is best for you and your family. I’m not against parenting articles whatsoever, but it’s dangerous to let them dictate how you’re doing in parenting world.
There are days where my kids watch entirely too much tv and we don’t do a single educational activity. Because I’m so tired. And a few confessions: my kids usually end up with my phone at the grocery store so I can actually shop for groceries; we’ve given them games on our phones at restaurants just so we can have a conversation as adults; and they’ve probably seen the Big Bang Theory 😂.












