Let’s be honest … moms are not perfect. We aren’t superheroes. We don’t have all the right answers. We all make mistakes. I don’t care if you can pack the most colorful, healthy, Pinterest award-winning bento box for your kid’s lunch or if you’ve hosted the best play date filled with learning activities and paint, you have done something on your motherhood journey that makes you hang your head in shame and hope that no one was paying attention.
Confession: I hide it well, but truthfully, I feel this way quite often.
They don’t tell you about this in books or movies. No one mentions the ugly truth: you are going to make mistakes and feel like your kids will end up in therapy one day because of it.
Honesty is the Best Policy
In the spirit of living my truth and being transparent, here are my top confessions as a parent.
- We sometimes do a simple wipe-down at night. I make sure they wash their hands and face and brush their teeth, but that’s all they get some nights. My oldest can wear a ponytail with a huge bow to hide the fact that we haven’t washed her hair. There are just some nights where a bath isn’t a priority.
- Little white lies. I lie to my children sometimes. I don’t know how many times I’ve told my kids that the park was closed or that we have cameras all around the house so that I know when they haven’t brushed their hair or teeth. It really is just easier to tell a little white lie instead of having to answer the thousands of questions that are bound to follow if I tell the whole truth. They’ll understand when they get older, right?
- Hotdogs and Greek yogurt. Dinner is a struggle in our house. All three of my kids want different things, and of course, none of those things is ever what I’ve actually prepared. My lazy mom rule for nights like this is that if I don’t have to fix it for you and you at least eat a Greek yogurt with it, then, by all means, eat what you want.
- Cry me a river. Sometimes, I just need a good cry. Parenting is a hard, messy, and usually thankless job. When I get in my feelings, I find myself crying in the bathroom, in bed, or even on the way to work in the morning. Most of the time, I cry because I am disappointed and upset with myself about how I handled a situation. Why haven’t I mastered parenting after all these years?! Regardless of the reason, crying is when I take off the “perfect mom” mask and let my emotions come out, in hopes of feeling better afterward.
- Decisions, decisions. Being a parent means you make about a million decisions a day. What kind of diapers to buy, what dentist is best, what to cook for dinner, and how are we going to afford all this are just a few. With all of this juggling and decision-making, you are bound to make a few mistakes.
Keep it up!
To all you moms out there who feel like you are failing at motherhood – know that you are not alone. I see you, I praise you, and I pray with you. Keep doing what you are doing! We are all doing our best. We are imperfect and that is okay!
