My wife frankly pointed out to me recently that all these expectations to be a remarkable parent can be overwhelming and downright irritating at times. Hmmm…with a high maintenance preschooler and infant son to care for all day I cannot imagine why she might feel that way? There are those days when you don’t feel like a “purple” parent; but should you feel guilty? Intentional parenting is tough and often it’s just a grind. Weeks or months can go by when you don’t see the fruits of your labor or reward for all your hard work in the lives of your kids. We need to forgive ourselves, relax, and accept our imperfections as humans when we have one of those days or one of those weeks. There are those times when we are on edge with our kids, tired, depressed, stressed, not so patient, and not the loving, supportive parent we want to be. I make such a big deal about parenting with purpose and can even get a little aggravated when I see people who routinely parent “by the seat of their pants”. However, none of us are going to give our kids that perfect childhood. They will turn out okay. Living in this imperfect or unjust world with less than perfect parents will give us all bumps and bruises, but your kids will survive and most likely develop greater resilience because of it.
A recent not so “purple” moment of mine occurred this weekend as we traveled for the first time with our preschool daughter and infant son. (In fact – most of the weekend was anything but “purple” to be honest.) I did not feel like being a remarkable Dad or intentional parent as my son woke up twice in the night crying inconsolable as I fought a terrible bout of allergies myself. So as not to get ourselves kicked out I ended up taking him out of the hotel (downtown Austin) twice in the middle of night while under the influence of Sudafed. I understood exactly what my wife was trying to get across in a whole new way. We also met a lot of interesting people coming in after a night of drinking on 6th Street.
A recent not so “purple” moment of mine occurred this weekend as we traveled for the first time with our preschool daughter and infant son. (In fact – most of the weekend was anything but “purple” to be honest.) I did not feel like being a remarkable Dad or intentional parent as my son woke up twice in the night crying inconsolable as I fought a terrible bout of allergies myself. So as not to get ourselves kicked out I ended up taking him out of the hotel (downtown Austin) twice in the middle of night while under the influence of Sudafed. I understood exactly what my wife was trying to get across in a whole new way. We also met a lot of interesting people coming in after a night of drinking on 6th Street.