“Stop running! We’re going on vacation next week and I don’t want you breaking an arm!”
Yes, I’ve said this a million times. But this time, it wasn’t me. I was sitting in my car, waiting for school pick up to start and a dad and his small child went past us. I heard him holler the very same thing I had been saying on repeat for about three weeks straight. My husband and I had a good laugh over that one.
It was at that moment we realized – all of us parents – we all have the same goal. To get our kids to the finish line alive and preferably in one piece.
This was reinforced when I was in the checkout lane at Meijer. The big window in front has a very large ledge in front of it. I don’t know why but my kids love it! One minute they are beside me and the next my two oldest girls are standing on the ledge. I said, “Get down! This is not a playground!” Then I heard a voice beside me, “I literally just said the same thing!” I look over and see a dad in the next lane and look down and saw a small boy staring at my girls, jealousy written all over his face.
My favorite mommy blogger started a group on Facebook where everyone shares how average they are. It is a group of thousands of parents and is the least judgmental group I have come across. We are all united by the fact we are just trying to survive this thing called parenthood.
It doesn’t matter if you breastfeed your toddler or feed them pop tarts for breakfast – we all just want our kids to be fed.
You may schedule structured playdates or maybe you haven’t seen your kids since you sent them outside to play three hours ago – we all just want our kids to play and have fun.
It doesn’t matter if you only use essential oils or have a medicine cabinet full of bottles – we all just want our children to be healthy and comfortable.
What’s right to me may be wrong to you and that’s ok! At the end of the day – we all just want our kids to grow up and become functioning adults.
And preferably, not break a leg before vacation, please.
