NorthBridge Waumba Land

We often find ourselves burning the candle at both ends, thinking this is what it means to be a parent. We’re not sure when this line of thinking started, but let’s squash it right now. You will serve your family better when you also serve yourself. You can start doing that by making sure you rest your body and mind, care for your emotional and spiritual well-being, and for goodness sake, eat a full meal and not just what your kids have left over. You deserve good things and once you start realizing that and acting like it, your kids will benefit from that shift in mentality, too.

(Words from )

It’s easy to want to wear the hat of perfectionism in our parenting. After all, we are the ones who set the rules, dole out the discipline, and make big decisions in life. Why wouldn’t we want our kids to think we can do no wrong?

But perfectionism in parenting can hurt more than it can help. There are no perfect parents, so why would we try to model that for our children? Being real with our children about our own imperfections can help them learn how to ask for forgiveness, talk about the ways they’ve messed up, learn how to do better next time, and even give themselves (and others) more grace.

Also, it’s important that we show our children all sides of us (the good, the bad, and the ugly) so we don’t unintentionally set an unrealistic expectation for them to live up to.

Remember, there are no imperfect parents. So next time you are tempted to put on your perfectionist parenting hat, just remember to just be a real parent. You (and your kids) will be better off for it.

Anyone going to the beach this summer? Comment below with your favorite parenting hack when traveling to the beach with preschoolers!