Cut some slack for parents

A LONG, long time ago in a neighbourhood just down the road from where I live today, I had a conversation with a parent. It was in a time of BC (before child) for me.

The conversation went something like this:

My friend: “No one knows what it’s like to have a child until it actually happens.”

Me: “Well, I have a dog, who I love very much, so I think I kinda have an idea.” My friend: Stares at me. He was right. I had no idea. A few years went by and then my little fella came along and before I knew it, I’d lost control of a body trying to recover from giving birth.

Not only that but life operated on a very different time frame to what I was used to. If I wanted to do something BC, well, I just did it. AC and you wonder why the heck it’s taken until 4pm to have that shower, or even brush your hair.

You also wonder how it was possible that you couldn’t find the time to throw together a simple sandwich for lunch and then, as a result, became so hungry that a late chocolate lunch became the only option.

It’s a journey and we all learn lessons as we go.

I had a conversation with a new mum recently who worried she wasn’t getting this parenting gig right. I asked if her son was happy and she said he was. “Looks to me like you’re doing pretty well,” I said.

We have to go easy on ourselves and embrace the journey because it all gets better.