ML Interest Tag: time

How to Make It through the Rest of Summer & Keep Your Cool

By Jen Lumanlan

Ahhhh….summer.  It sounds amazing.

Lots of time outside; the kids all splashing happily in whatever water-filled container you have.

Lots of unscheduled time, with no particular places to be or things to do.

Your kids get to just be kids for a while.

But here’s what’s also part of summer:

The crying and whining.

The endless repetitions of “I’m booooooored…” interspersed with refusals to help around the house.

And your triggered feelings.

What Happens When You Have a Big Reaction to Your Kid’s Feelings

When your kids don’t cooperate (which happens a lot when you’re together a lot), you probably go into one of four ‘modes’:

1. Fight Mode: You get combative! Your child might as well be an attacking bear that you’re fighting for your life. You will dominate them…through words (you can probably out-logic them), through your physical presence (towering over them) and/or through swatting or spanking them.

2. Flight Mode: You’ve got to get out of here! Your child might as well be an attacking bear that you’re running away from, and quickly. You check out mentally, or you physically leave the room—and when your child follows you it makes everything ten times worse.

3. Freeze Mode: The bear’s attacking, and you can’t figure out what to do. You’re mentally and physically frozen: should you counterattack? Should you run and hide? It is simply not possible for you to make a decision—about anything—at this moment.

4. Fawn Mode: Most common among people who have experienced abuse, this involves getting the difficult behavior to stop at all costs. You placate the child; reassure them; say they can have the thing they want…anything to make the crying/screaming/whining stop.

It doesn’t seem like any of these things should be part of any parent’s summer plans…and yet, here they are.

Summer isn’t over yet.

Are you gonna make it?

Here are 5 tips to help you not just survive but actually enjoy the time you’re spending with your kids this summer:

1. Don’t Multitask.
Whenever your attention is split, there’s a good chance you’re going to get frustrated. Have designated times to play with your kids—and put the phone away. Focus on nothing but being with them. At other times, tell them you’re not available now but you will be in 30 minutes/after lunch/when the timer goes off.

2. Slow Down & Simplify.
Do you need to go to every birthday party? Must you take something homemade to every gathering, or would a bowl of cherries be just as welcome?  Could you eat take-out one more night a week, or cook twice as much on the nights you do cook, and eat leftovers every other night? Can you plan just a little further ahead so you don’t have to go shopping as often? The more you can slow down and simplify, the less overall stress you’ll feel, which will leave more gas in the tank to deal with the children’s meltdowns.

3. Be Realistic about What Your Child Can Do. 
We hear a lot about having ‘developmentally appropriate’ expectations, but many parents expect their children to be able to do way more than they really can.  A survey by respected organization Zero to Three found that over half of parents think that children under three can reliably resist the desire to do something forbidden when actually this starts to develop between ages 3.5-4. And 42% of parents think that children should be able to control their emotions—like not having a tantrum when they’re frustrated—by age 2 when again this develops between the ages of 3.4-4. If you’re expecting too much too soon, you’ll get frustrated when they can’t meet your expectations.

4. Embrace the Drop-off (Outdoor) Playdate.
If you have any access to the outdoors, and there are other families in your ‘pod,’ take turns hosting outdoor playdates. If you have a garden, the other child could bring a lunch and then you just turf them outdoors for the day—they can collect rocks, make ‘houses’ for imaginary friends; build things out of cardboard…Even traditionally indoor-based toys like LEGO and Magnatiles that they’re bored with using indoors can be fun again outdoors. Chances are having another child around will actually keep yours occupied for longer…and then your child goes to the friend’s house another time, giving you several hours off. Even if you go to the playground or park instead of your house, you could work for the life of your laptop battery, or hang out with a book. Win-win!

5. Pay Attention to What’s Going on in Your Body.  
In our culture, we have an idea that everything worth paying attention to happens in our brains. But very often our bodies tell us when something’s up—like when we’re getting resentful because our child has been asking us to do things for them all day. We might feel a tightness in our shoulders, heat across our chest, nausea, or a headache long before we yell at our child, walk away from them, freeze, or fawn. We can learn to pay attention to these signals and act on them early in the day rather than letting the frustration build until we explode.

Navigating kids’ big feelings is challenging for every parent. It can be doubly challenging when you can’t stay calm in these moments, perhaps partly because you are remembering difficult events from your childhood. But just because you’ve responded with frustration up to now doesn’t mean it always has to be that way. You might think that your child needs to change their behavior but none of the ideas here involve doing that. When you change the way you show up with them, they most likely won’t do as much of the behavior you find so difficult.

And so you will make it through the summer.

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How a Summertime Routine Will Benefit Your Kids
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Ditching That Summer Reading List Is Actually a Fantastic Idea

Jen Lumanlan fills the gaps in her parenting intuition through research, via a Master’s in Psychology (Child Development) and another in Education.  Her podcast, Your Parenting Mojo, provides rigorous yet accessible information on parenting and child development to help parents tame the overwhelm and raise resilient, thriving children.

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5 Ways Your Child Can Capture Family Memories

by Kenzie Kramer
Partner Content

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“Remember when we (insert awesome experience)?” Families make the best memories… but they tend to get a little foggy as the years go by. Kids can capture the good times and help your family relive great adventures and special holiday moments together. (It’s priceless to see them from a child’s perspective!). Here’s how:

1. Interview Your Crew

There’s nothing better than hearing about special moments and discovering new stories. Your child can come up with questions to ask grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins and film their interviews on their Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch. Featuring dual cameras to film videos and snap pics, they can store up to 3,000 640 x 480 pixels photos or 30 minutes of 320 x 240 pixels video. It’s easy to transfer content right to a computer to save and share.

2. Be the Family Filmmaker

Whether they want to turn interviews into a family documentary, capture the best times from a vacation or make a silly skit with their sibling, the Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch can make it happen.

3. Do a DIY Photo Album

Aside from saving one-of-a-kind videos, kids can use their Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch to customize photos with decorative stickers and borders. Transfer to a computer and print them out to make an album of their favorite people, celebrations, holidays and good times.

4. Make a Memory Jar

Who doesn’t love reflecting back on good times? Simply fill a mason jar with photos of your family’s favorite memories—playing boardwalk games on a vacation, doing a puzzle with grandma on Christmas, building a fort in the backyard… the list is endless. Anyone in the family can add to the jar whenever the mood strikes. Pull out the photos whenever you’d like to reminisce and feel thankful. Kids can customize the jars by decorating with stickers, paint, ribbon, colorful tape and gems. Jars can also be filled with memorabilia like sand and shells from a beach, or tickets and trinkets from a trip exploring a new city.

5. Get Crafty

Kids can draw, paint or make a collage of family members or special experiences. You’ll love looking back at how they depict life’s little details at that moment in time—daddy’s glasses, mommy reading a book, big sis kicking a soccer ball. As every parent knows, the days are long, but the years are short. Beautiful art projects that capture those days mean a lot as your children grow!

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Perfect Parenting Is Being Able to Forgive

By Angela Rainbolt

Have you forgiven yourself? Yes, you read that correctly. Have you forgiven yourself? We are human beings, and we make mistakes. Somehow or another, parent status is synonymous with perfection. We expect it from others, especially now in the digital age, and we expect it from ourselves. We portray images online and cry in private. I am just 13 days away from entering my 30th year of parenting and I can tell you that perfect is not how I would describe those years. They were perfectly broken. They were perfectly difficult. They were perfectly dysfunctional. I think you are starting to understand.

My oldest daughter, who will be 29 in a couple of weeks, has chosen to not talk to me or her sisters for a year and a half now. Mental health issues have been a steady theme in our lives. By the time I found out that I was pregnant with her, I had thought about suicide more times than I care to count, had taken drugs, had drank until I puked, had stayed out all night, had slept with too many guys, flunked out of my freshman year of college, and the list of poor choices goes on. I was looking for validation. I needed someone to make me feel like I was okay. I needed to feel like my presence mattered. I thought having my daughter would change things. I thought that she would give me everything I was looking for. I was scared as hell, but in my young mind I couldn’t come to any other decision but to continue with the pregnancy. 

They say that hindsight is 20/20 but even now I don’t think I know what the right choice was. Perhaps keeping her helped me stay away from some damaging behaviors but not all of them. I continued to use alcohol for many years. I went out at nights trying to find fun and excitement. I had men in and out of my life. I failed at getting my college degree. I quit jobs when things got hard or I didn’t know how to resolve issues. I have thought about the alternatives. But there is not another person that could love her more than I did and do. However, I was broken. Right now, I am, at best, refurbished.

I think about those years more than you could even imagine that I do. I could never find peace and admonished myself many nights in the dark when I was trying to sleep. Once my daughter became an adult, she seemed to get more adjusted as time went on. She was finding her stride and told me thank you many times. I mentioned several times that I was happy that she still loved me. I would tell her this because it was truly how I felt, and I knew that if she could still love me after everything I put her through that maybe I could find a way to forgive myself. In the last few years, I started to allow myself to heal and forgive myself for everything: the poor choices, the yelling, the lack of guidance, the physical punishments, etc. Everything changed this year when you spoke about your recent diagnoses. That telephone conversation brought everything back and the doubt and self-punishment crept back in. This was closely followed by another conversation where you asked me questions that I knew would come someday. Questions that could have been asked a dozen times over the last ten years. 

It is impossible for us to do better until we know better. It really wasn’t until a few years ago that my mind started to get better. I took control of my depression and anxiety. I started walking every day and allowing myself to get in my thoughts and resolve how I felt about my life. I started to lose weight and gain a smile. I started to get more active in my community. I joined the booster club associated with my daughter’s basketball team, made friends, and eventually started to feel like a good person. This was a stark difference to all the parenting years beforehand. I was never involved. I didn’t go to school events and, most of the time, would try to talk my kids out of taking part in things that would require me doing so. My oldest daughter had ADHD and that, combined with my own mental health issues, just made it nearly impossible for me to be an active parent. I was always exhausted, sad, and angry.

And part of the process of knowing better and moving forward is the process of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a process and is never over. We will, most likely, need to continue forgiving ourselves for years to come. I know that I am. Allow yourself to go down the road of forgiveness and you will find yourself in the glorious world of the chaotic perfection that is parenting. I ask you again, have you forgiven yourself? 

I am a single mom of three beautiful daughters ages 29, 20, and 15.  At 50, I am recently divorced and making a career change.  I'm trying to put my BA and my MA to use finally!  My life hasn't always been easy but I feel good about the future!

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Are Family Meals Mayhem? Turn It around with These Tips

By Kara Reynolds

Family mealtime may feel like madness sometimes. In modern times, families are busier. The kids are in more activities, and parents work long hours. Preparing and sharing a family meal takes time, but it’s worth it to sit down together at least a few times each week to enjoy eating together.

Meals are great times to talk with your children and model behavior surrounding food and manners at a table. Your children can also learn about appropriate eating habits and even family traditions around the dinner table. Families who eat together often eat better, and you want to make this time enjoyable.

If your family mealtimes feel rushed, chaotic, or you just can’t appreciate them, here is how you can enjoy family mealtime more with these six tips.

1. Set Aside Specific Meal Times
Keep your breakfast, lunch and dinner times at a regular time every day. Put them in your schedule or on your calendar, too. When there is a regular time for everything, more family members are likely to show up.

Plus, specific mealtimes can help minimize snacking between meals, so your children will be hungry when they sit down at the table. Of course, not everyone will make it to these meals every day, but they know when they can count on dinner to be ready.

2. Involve Your Kids in Preparing Meals
Gett your kids involved in preparing for family meals—it can significantly help with fussy eaters. They can help choose what goes into a meal, making them more prone to eat it once it’s ready. This also can encourage them to try new foods, like nutritious leafy greens, whole grains and new proteins.

Older kids can help cook or find new recipes for the family to enjoy. When you all sit down to eat, they can be proud that they helped with the meal and will enjoy eating it, too.

3. Catch Up during Family Meals
Use family mealtimes to catch up on everyone’s lives and talk to one another. It’s a great way to keep up with what everyone is doing in their busy lives. Have everyone take turns sharing something good and bad about their days.

Older children and teenagers may have an easier time communicating with everyone. Younger children who can’t form sentences may get frustrated, so ease their frustration by asking them yes or no questions about their day. This will make mealtime a social time and enjoyable.

4. Allow More Time for Meals
Do you feel like you can’t enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner because it’s rushed? Try extending your time for meals. Many parents and families don’t take enough time to sit down and eat. The rush can get everyone overly anxious, especially if you have somewhere to be after eating.

Give you and your kids at least 15 minutes to eat. Children often take longer to eat since they’re developing and have smaller mouths! Providing that extra time also gives them a chance to try new foods. It’s a great time to establish good eating habits, too.

5. Meal Prep for Busier Nights
Meal prepping takes a little bit of extra work one day every week, but it makes the rest of the week so much easier to handle since you won’t have to worry about cooking meals every day. When you meal prep, you prepare your meals ahead of time or at least part of the meals ahead of time so you can spend less time cooking and more time sitting down to enjoy a meal.

You don’t have to meal prep for every day of the week. Focus on prepping for your busier nights, like when you have to work later or when the kids have after-school activities. This also helps you make healthier choices because you have food ready to eat at home rather than stopping at a fast-food restaurant.

6. Get Creative
When you have a little bit of extra time, explore creative ways to make mealtime more fun and engaging for your family. Planning for a fun breakfast or dinner can give the family something to look forward to, making mealtime more enjoyable for everyone. Below are some creative ways to make mealtime more interesting:

  • Make breakfast for dinner and let the kids choose toppings for their pancakes or waffles.
  • Create a build-your-own pizza station where everyone gets their own personalized pizza.
  • Use a theme for mealtime, like foods from different countries or the kids’ favorite Disney movie.
  • Have a mid-day picnic in the park or your backyard.
  • Invite a friend or family member over for a meal.
  • Host a dinner and a show where you watch a movie during mealtime.

Breaking up the mundane mealtime schedule with fun events like these can help keep your kids interested, and mealtime will be fun!

With these tips, you can enjoy family mealtimes even more. You and your kids will begin to look forward to times you can spend together around the table.

Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine.  A mom of four and matriarch to her big blended family, Kara wants nothing more than to normalize differences in family structures.  She enjoys peeing alone, pancakes, and pinot noir - but not at the same time. 

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The Perfect Picture Book About Friends Who Are Family

by Katie Lineberger
Partner Content

Whether you’re cuddling up on the couch for a mid-afternoon story or winding down at bedtime, a great book brings families together for quality time and important conversations. A must-have for your kiddo’s bookshelf is Stick and Stone: Best Friends Forever, a new adventure for beloved BFFs Stick and Stone.

In Beth Ferry’s latest book, beautifully illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, Stick searches for his family tree (Is it an oak? A maple? Who are the other sticks he’ll get to meet?). As any wonderful wingman would do, Stone accompanies his pal on the journey to find his roots. Throughout their adventure, this sweet picture book delivers a big message about friendship and unconditional love. 

Stick and Stone: Best Friends Forever brings to life the idea that people who are not born into your family can fill spaces in your heart. From friends to neighbors, “family” takes many forms over a lifetime. A good friend brings comfort and support. They’re by our sides through happy times and sad times and especially when the world feels scary. (As any parent navigating the uncertainty of a pandemic knows, these special relationships are everything!) 

Clever illustrations visualize the playful rhymes in this relatable tale that resonates with kids and adults alike. Reading this heartwarming book with your children gives parents the opportunity to explore the importance of learning about where we came from, as well as the ability of “found family” to help us grow! 

 

Read the book and download the free activity kit!

-Jessica Solloway

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Everything You Need to Know about Disney’s New Genie Service

by Karly Wood

You may have heard the rumors: Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort are no longer offering Fast Passes and we’re here to tell you: it’s true. But while the free service won’t be offered anymore, Disney is not leaving us hanging!

Coming this fall you’ll be able to access the new Disney Genie service! The digital service not only helps you create a fun-filled itinerary but it’s also complimentary (please, and thank you). Keep scrolling to find out all the details!

Disney’s video covered a ton of important details so let’s break it down. First, Disney Genie fits right into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps so you don’t need yet another app on your already cluttered phone. You’ll be able to indicate your must-ride attractions, fave food and interests that include your can’t miss character experiences.

Once you load in your deets, Disney Genie will help guide your day by suggesting ideal times to head to attractions, when to get on restaurant waiting lists and wait times. It will also adjust throughout the day as crowds ebb and flow. No more walking across the entire park to find out the princesses have gone on a lunch break!

photo: Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

If you are still craving that front-of-the-line experience, guests will have the option to use the Disney Genie+ service and make up to two individual attraction selections to skip the line. Both of these are paid options.

Disney Genie+ service will be priced at $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort. This service gives you the chance to pick the next available time to arrive at certain attractions and experiences by using the Lightning Lane entrance. Like the old Max Pass, guests can only make one selection at a time, throughout the day. Additionally, you’ll also be able to access Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features like augmented reality lenses (Walt Disney World only) and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day at Disneyland Resort.

For attractions not included in Disney Genie+ service, park goers will be able to schedule a time to arrive at up to two super popular = attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance. Depending on the park, attraction and day, the price will fluctuate for this service.

For more details on Disney Genie, visit DisneyWorld.com/DisneyGenie and Disneyland.com/DisneyGenie and stay tuned for the official launch date this fall.

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: Disney Parks Blog

 

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Study Finds *This* Could Be the Secret to Happiness

by Jennifer Swartvagher

If you are feeling stressed, grab your family and hop in the car. There’s nothing that lifts your spirits like being out on the open road.

Outdoorsy released its Road to Wellness survey last summer and it found that 94% of North American families are happier and healthier after taking a road trip and spending time outdoors. 

Road trip

According to the survey, 71% of those who had to cancel their summer travel plans due to COVID-19 are now considering alternate vacation options such as a road trip. Of those who responded 70% would rather go on a road trip with family or a significant other rather than going alone. 

Air travel is still a hassle. 65% of parents say that it is easier to drive with children than to fly with 75% of respondents noting their last road trip was a “much needed escape” and would plan to take one again soon. 

Those working from home have caught the travel bug. Remote workers are 2.5 times more likely to say they would take more road trips if they had access to an RV, with 72% reporting they are planning to take more road trips as a result of the widespread work from home policies as a result of the pandemic. 

Parents find that their kids are much more appreciative on road trips. Of those surveyed, 93% said they feel more bonded with their children when on a road trip with 75% adding that their kids say “thank you” more often when on vacation. 

Millennials are 2.13 times more likely than any other generation to spend their COVID-related stimulus funds on a road trip this year and Boomers are 1.8 more likely to opt out of plane travel this year.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash

 

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How to Avoid Divorce: Expert Tips that Could Save Your Marriage

By Jacqueline Newman

Photo: istock

People often say to me, “It must be so depressing seeing people’s marriages fall apart all around you every day. Does it affect your own marriage?” As surprising as it may sound, I think that being a divorce lawyer has had a pretty positive effect on my marriage. Here’s what I’ve learned that can help you and your partner avoid your own divorce preceedings.

1. Don’t Fight Dirty

The bigger benefit that I think I have learned from being a divorce attorney is that it has taught me to be very careful and controlled when my husband and I do get into arguments. I will consider the many times that a client will tell me a story of some fight she had with husband when she told him that if he does not stop doing X, Y, Z “He will never see the kids again” or the good ol’ “If you do not do X, Y, Z, I will take every last penny we have and fight you until you have nothing.”

2. Avoid the “D” Word

In the same vein as not fighting dirty, in all our years of marriage, I have also never used the “D” word during an argument. Not once have I threatened, hinted, or even used a word that rhymes with the word “divorce.” To me, if I ever said it or heard it, it would not be a lighthearted comment that I would simply brush off.

3. Make Quality Time Together a Priority

While most spouses had something in common and liked each other enough at one point to walk down that aisle, often those commonalities fall to the wayside over time. To try to maintain the Mr. & Mrs. status, my husband and I tried to institute a weekly date night.

No matter how you slice it, marriage is tough. Even the good ones are hard, and the difficult ones are even harder. There are going to be highs and lows and times when you really think your spouse is great and other times when you are like “eh.” It is important to be realistic about marriage and not compare your relationship to the pictures your high school nemesis posts on Facebook of her smiling children and handsome husband (she has probably already consulted with me, and trust me, her life is not so perfect).

—Jacqueline Newman has written THE NEW RULES OF DIVORCE: 12 Secrets to Protecting Your Wealth, Health, and Happiness and has appeared as an expert commentator on various television and radio shows and has been quoted as an expert in numerous publications.

RELATED STORIES:
Thinking about Divorce? Here’s 10 Things Every Wife Should Know
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Jacqueline Newman is a divorce lawyer and matrimonial law expert. As managing partner of a top-tier 5th Avenue Manhattan law firm focused exclusively on divorce, her practice runs the gamut from prenups for high net worth people contemplating marriage to high conflict matrimonial litigation in dissolutions. 

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I Didn’t Know This Would Be the Last Time

By Tabitha Yates

Photo: Karina Beagley

I didn’t know this would be the last time I nursed you to sleep. I would have soaked in the moment, if only I knew. I didn’t know that this was the last night I would rock you to sleep in this well-worn rocking chair. I wish I would have held you longer. I didn’t know that one day I would be stroking your sweet baby cheeks and the next, I would be staring at a face so changed, as the years melted away your cherub cheeks and gave you defined and unique features, just as beautiful and handsome. I wish I had stared just a little while longer, before I dozed off beside you. I didn’t know that after all the times I wished you would sleep through the night, suddenly you would and I would miss you.

I didn’t know that one day you wouldn’t ask me to help pick out your clothes anymore. You’re quite proud of your st‌yle now and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I didn’t know that one night you wouldn’t ask for a bedtime story anymore, because you were reading your great big chapter book and just wanted to chat and have mommy time instead. I wouldn’t have rushed so much.

I didn’t know that this would be the last time you held my hand crossing the road, because you’re much too big now and “You know the safety rules.” Just the same, I’ll always be looking out for your well-being and safety.

I didn’t know that one moment you would be in Kindergarten and the next, you would be in 5th grade and it would only feel like I blinked. I didn’t know that all the days of you asking me for my time, would turn into me asking you for yours. I’ll never be too busy, my child. I didn’t know how fast the years would fly by. I couldn’t have known when all our last times would occur, but now I have what will feel like only a few more years of last times to try to cherish and so many moments that are to become memories to live. I didn’t know I could love anyone as much as I love you.

This post originally appeared on Today Parents.

The Redeemed Mama is a writer who had had articles published by The Today Show, Love What Matters, The Mighty, Faithit, For Every Mom, The Creative Child Magazine and more. She has 3 beautiful kids and resides in Southern Arizona and loves writing about parenting, life and growth!

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The Worst & Best of Parenting

By Priya Doshi

Parenting is the hardest job. 

At times I feel like I am wasting my time arguing with my tween daughter just because I want her to perform better in her studies.

I feel sick of dealing with my son’s tantrums. 

Parenting is also the most stressful job, I forgot to add that.

I was told by well-meaning relatives that a mother has the right to feel frustrated at times. But little did I know (before my husband and I decided to have two kids) that parenting is mind-numbing, mundane and boring. It feels like you are living someone else’s life and not yours.

I mean, parents are humans too. Parents would like to live their lives too. Just because one has had kids doesn’t mean it is the end of the road for one’s personal wishes, desires, dreams and most importantly, their freedom.

Freedom does get curtailed quite a lot after becoming a parent. 

Well, especially for parents like us who have no help. 

Yes, my husband and I have to just rely on each other. It can very hard when you are desperately looking for a break from doing things for kids all the time.

One thing that has reduced the stress from this monotonous job was that I decided to put my kids into a routine from a very young age (3 months of age). A stroke of luck or intuition.  

I was led to believe, by another set of well-meaning relatives that as a parent, I am too strict. Yes, because I put my babies into a routine.

I was told that I am like a timetable! I have too many rules with the kids.

I know at times I do go overboard with my rules. Sometimes, one rule contradicts another and creates confusion.

But hey, I am trying my best here without much help. My hubby works full time so help is available from him only in the evenings and weekends. 

It is okay if I make mistakes at times. I know I am not a perfect parent.

But I know for sure that I am doing my best. 

Sometimes, my kitchen is messy. Sometimes my laundry basket is overflowing. At times, I even postpone cleaning as I am so tired or I have just haven’t had the chance.

But I know I am doing my best.

At times, I yell at my kids without a reason. But there are times, I follow all the parenting tips that I preach to the T.

But I know I am doing my best. 

At times, I cry on my husband’s shoulder because I am so bored and frustrated with being a mother even if the kids haven’t misbehaved the entire day.

But I know I am doing my best.

I know I love my children and it is okay for me to feel frustrated at times.

There are times when I feel like the most privileged person in the universe when people praise my kids for being so well mannered. 

Sometimes, I just feel privileged for doing things for them.

Sometimes, I feel privileged when I watch them playing together. At times, I feel so touched by their innocent questions. 

And sometimes I just melt when they hug and kiss me. 

These far and few good moments are what give me the strength to get through the tougher moments of parenting. 

But I know deep inside my heart that I cannot imagine my life without my kids. 

Parenting is a tough journey but worth it in the end. 

 

 

 

 

Priya is a Freelance Writer for hire. She has a Parenting Blog. She has also written an E-book Painless Parenting where she shares tips that can make the difficult journey of parenting easier.  She is a regular mum from London who loves spending time with her kids and eating chocolates.

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