Not Measuring Up

Every parent in existence hits a point when they feel that they don't measure up. Feelings of guilt that you aren't a good mom or dad are normal especially when you have a heavy work load to provide for your family. While it's probably not true that you're a horrible parent you may find that you have valid reasons for feeling this way. Use this opportunity to do some self-reflecting.

 

One common reason parents find themselves harboring this guilt is simple; how much time are you taking out of your busy schedule to spend with your kids? And if you find that you answer is close to none, then who is? Parents struggling to make ends meet often find that their time with their children is extremely limited and feel that the household will not survive if they don't keep it up. On the flip side, the quality time that is being cut out from the daily budget is just as important as the financial aspect. It's not just important for the kids and your significant other but for you too.

 

Between school and sports our kids have plenty of opportunity to keep very busy themselves. With spring break over so is the first half of the school year and parent teacher conferences are about to be on your schedule. This can be a rude awakening for some on how involved you are in your kid's lives. Do you know what grades your have in each class or subject? How have they been doing on their homework and are they turning it in on time? Are they respectful to their teachers and classmates? Some parents have absolutely no clue at all until they attend a conference. It can be easy to forget about school and how your child may be doing if you aren't getting phone calls of complaints. Year after year you simply fall into a routine and school just becomes a process that seems to take care of itself.

 

For a lot of parents, as long as your kids are staying out of trouble, there isn't a problem. But what about the trouble they are getting into behind closed doors? Kids don't  always get into serious trouble over night. This goes for kids of all age groups. Schools and states all over the country are working to enforce stricter rules and even laws revolving around bullying. No matter how overboard I or others think some are taking it, it's still a very real issue that we all need to keep an eye on whether our kids are the victims of bullies or the actual bully. Know who your children are hanging out with and what their influences are or may become of it.

 

Our kids grow up so fast. We all work so hard to provide for our families and to make sure that we can give our children every thing that they need. Each and every parent always feels that they aren't doing enough and that's because it can be difficult to look past the financial aspect of raising our children. Sit down with your significant other and really look at your weekly schedules. Make time for a family night. Take turns helping your children with their homework activities. Want to get to know your children's closest friends and their parents? Host a BBQ at your house or local park and invite them over. Finding the time in your schedule is the first step to getting over your guilt. Once you make a firm decision to make changes, you're well on your way to becoming the parent you want to be.