I’m a big believer in just doing your best. It’s enough.
You don’t need to train for a marathon. You don’t need to lose the baby weight. You don’t need to make perfect meals every day, and you are most certainly allowed to make mistakes.
These are a few realistic goals that might help you feel good about your parenting in 2024.
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Give up the mom guilt.
I did this five kids ago because guilt did not serve me. It is not proactive and reliving something I feel bad for over and over in my head is not helpful. Instead, just apologize, learn and move on. It also teaches your kids that mistakes are OK and normalizes apologies.
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Do something for you.
It doesn’t have to be huge, but it does show your family that you value yourself and your time. They might just need this reminder.
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Boundaries and Battles.
You can say NO to your kids, colleagues and your spouse. You may even need to set some phone boundaries. I know as parents we sometimes worry about being on our phones too much. There are apps that can help with that. When considering your boundaries and battles, ask yourself “Is this the hill I want to die on?” Don’t worry if you don’t nail it – you can change and adjust your boundaries and battles to pick any time they are not working for you.
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Curate your social media.
If you find yourself comparing yourself for others and it’s negatively impacting you, unfollow and block those accounts. Maybe someone makes parenting look to easy. Maybe they complain about parenting too much. Clean house on your social media accounts. Your mental health is worth it.
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Stop complaining.
No one wants to hear how busy or tired you are. Tired? Make a change so you get more rest. A parent who complains will have kids who whine. Role-model the behaviour you want to see in your children. I’m not talking about being toxically positive – I’m talking about taking control of your mindset.
These too much? That’s OK! Maybe your resolution is to not have one. You are in the trenches and might not need the weight a resolution. Reject the resolution tradition if it’s not for you right now. Trust me – the time will come when things calm down and that’s when you can start training for that marathon. Or not.
