Good Enough

Right now my children are camped out behind the couch watching a movie on the iPad and eating junk.  Meanwhile I’m on the laptop watching basketball and pretending I’m alone.  I should probably feel guilty.

What I’ve come to realize after nearly twelve years of parenthood is this:  there will be days when you bring your A-game, when you live in the moment and play board games with your children and cook a healthy dinner from scratch.  And there will be days when you fail, when you lose your temper and forget about a school project and act like a child yourself.  But more often than not, there will be a succession of mediocre parenting days, when snacks are eaten straight from the box and the TV is on longer than it should be but nothing catches fire and everyone is relatively content.

Parenthood parallels life in this way.  Some days are filled with adventure and excitement, other days sorrow and frustration.  But most days?  Just pass.  We go through the motions, we participate in our routines, we eat, we breathe, we sleep.

And you know what I’ve decided?  That’s okay.  I can strive for Perfection and flog myself when I don’t achieve it, or I can be alright with Good Enough.  If at the end of the day no bones or hearts have been broken and I hugged my kids and told them I loved them, I can fall asleep knowing that’s enough.

Does that mean I’m settling for ordinary and practicing complacent parenting?  Not at all.  I  plan fun activities with my kiddos and I set limits and I try my best every day to be the kind of mom they deserve.  I’ve just stopped berating myself because I’m not Supermama.

This much is true:  my kids are safe, they are loved, they are provided for.  And they know it.

That’s good enough for me.