I wanted to take the time out and acknowledge my dad and all the dads out there today. Might be cliche but we need days like this to take a moment and be reminded of the people that raised us.
Now I understand there are crappy parents out there and honestly that’s shameful. Once you decide to have a child that should be your one and only priority. Your end goal should be giving that child a better life than you’ve had and showing them more love than you’ve ever know.
I try and be a little bit better than I was the day before and I take that motto on to everything. So let’s say you had a bad childhood and your parents were less than exemplary. Shouldn’t you try and break the mold and do better for your children instead of letting what’s familiar to you seep into your new life and family? I find the excuse of “well I’m just doing the best with what I know”, “this is how I was raised” complete nonsense. Our parents are human, even though sometimes it doesn’t seem like it. They make mistakes. They do the best THEY can. So WE need to do better. That is how we will evolve. You can’t be complacent in life. Complacency does not give way to progress. And we must always progress in the realm of parenting.
So you might say, what do I know about parenting? I am not a parent to a human child, that is true. But I am a mom to two cats, a dog, and a parakeet named Susie so I think that counts for something. But most importantly, I have had some of the best examples of parenting out there. I can’t even explain to you how loving my parents are. Fortunately for me, they are going on their 34th year of being married and they could not be more in love! Now, I realize that I am lucky and probably in the minority now, with most parents being divorced but hey, you couldn’t make it work, that’s fine, but be cordial and continue being the best pretends and role models you can.
Anyway, I digress, the point I was trying to make is that parenting should not be taken lightly. If your going to embark on that journey alone or with someone else, brace yourself and be ready. Love your kids to death but at the same time don’t try and be their best friend. I don’t agree with the moms that try to be the friend instead of the parent. I don’t think children’s minds are capable of understanding blurred lines and that’s when you have the 14 year old girls dressing like they just turned 21 and are ready to go clubbing. Yeah when your kids are adults and can be fully independent then you can speak your mind but it’s up to them if they want to listen. Until then, I feel like parents should be a little stricter but still loving. Take the time to explain your decisions to your kids so they understand your not just being a hard ass and your favorite word is no. Expand their thought process and help them understand right from wrong.
Parenting is such a hard job but also probably the most rewarding job. So remember patience and love, kindness and sacrifice and most important humility because at the end of the day we are all the same. I can’t wait to be a parent one day, when I find that right person and it’s the right situation, but until then, I will honor all the parents out there on days such as these and everyday I can remember because those people are the real heroes of our time.
What do you think?