You Don’t Owe Me An Explanation

It’s easy to get discouraged by things not going our way in the moment, but it can
also be easy to enjoy the moment, even when things aren’t going as we planned them.

Momma’s if someone hasn’t already told you yet, you don’t owe me an explanation. You don’t owe your parents or in-laws an explanation. You don’t owe your friends an explanation. You certainly don’t owe the stranger gleaning out of the corner of their eye one either.

It’s hard enough as is to parent, then add in the, “Well, I used to do it this way...”, “Have you tried this...”, “Well, you can try that, but it’s not going to work...” and you’ve got yourself feeling like a failure. When did we all become the “experts” on parenting?

It’s so easy to get bogged down in the unrealistic world of social media. Facebook and Instagram make it so easy to create the illusion of a “perfect world”. We are constantly comparing ourselves and even our own children to others. I can be the first to admit, I've played the comparison card several times. I can also confidently say that I am becoming more confident in myself as a mother and don't feel the need to make the comparisons to others as much anymore.

Life would be much easier if our kiddos wouldn’t throw those tantrums or they would take the picture perfect family picture, but you know what, that’s not reality for most of us. Some days our kids just have bad days. Adults have bad days, so what makes our kiddos exempt from having them? Now, this isn’t an excuse for misbehaving and some moments can be incredibly embarrassing, but just a small reminder that we all have our moments.

Guess what? Some days, my oldest doesn’t eat a single green leafy thing. We've co-slept with our oldest since she was six months old. I didn't intend for that to happen, but at that point, I was willing to do just about whatever I could to get some sleep. She’s eaten m&m’s before 9AM. She has the temper of a hornet. Am I proud of that, no, but we’re working on it. On the flip side, she’s very sensitive. Look at her in disappointment and she will immediately cry. She pushes EVERY button I have, intentionally, but yet, she will listen to every word her father says! She cries and makes a scene when there isn’t a race car shopping cart available at Harris Teeter. She doesn’t sit still when I would like her to during toddler time at the library. My youngest is still not on a clear "routine" at five months and tends to stay awake as long as she can and then crashes.

But, you know what? They are growing and learning daily. My oldest is saying thank you, more and more. She’s apologizing when she’s done something wrong. She loves her sister like no other. She’s getting into a routine and learning that Wednesday and Sunday’s are church days and is excited about going! I don’t know about you, but I would rather take the good with the “bad” and make the best of the situations were in.

One of the many unsuccessful attempts to move this
cuddle bug to her own bed.

I say all this to say, stop the judgement and mom shaming! We’re all paddling our canoes with holes in them, just trying to stay afloat. You might not agree with how another parent does things or how their child is acting, but that’s okay. You don't owe anyone an explanation. It’s about time we all start lifting each other up and encouraging one another! If you haven't been told lately that you're doing a great job, let me be the first to tell you - you rock!

Go Team Mom!