“I grew up in a time where you went to kids’ parties where the main course was sugar. Where you ate fairy bread, party pies. It was the only time your parents told you to go nuts because well, it was a party.
I grew up in a time where you could drink from the hose. Picked fruit off trees, rode my bike around under the sprinklers.
Where there was no pressure from strangers to dictate what we did with our lives. Nobody told my mom she was ruining our lives because we played until the street lights were on.
Where after a long day she could feed us a couple of burgers or hot dogs for dinner.
And I survived.
But now as moms we don’t survive. Now we are surrounded by endless pressure. We are bombarded by endless studies, endless advice and endless articles telling us everything we do is wrong. Each one contradicting and conflicting the other.
What happens when we put all this pressure on moms?
Parenting becomes hard, we become too busy trying to be perfect and we start to get depressed. We don’t enjoy parenthood… and kids miss out on all the fun things we remember so fondly.
Look at your child, really, look at them… I guarantee they’re gonna catch you staring at them like a creep, and they’re gonna smile at you. That’s your confirmation momma.
Don’t worry about the studies, the advice or all the other garbage that’s telling us that everything we used to do is bad… all you need to know is that you’re doing your best… and your best is enough.
So, I’ll feed my kids vegetables, and feed them fairy bread. Let them run around under the sprinklers, because you know what? They’ll survive… and we will all be happy.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Laura Mazza of Mum on the Run, where it originally appeared. Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best love stories here.
Provide beauty and strength for others. SHARE this story on Facebook with your friends and family.