If you have kids, you have experienced most, if not all of these struggles. For a long time I let simple things like when to switch from the bottle to a sippy cup or when to transition from formula to milk stress me out. I can tell you this much, it’s not worth the battle. I’m going to share with you 10 parenting struggles not worth stressing over.
1. Keeping a Clean Home
We all want the beautiful spot free homes we see on Pinterest and HDTV but I’m willing to guess that most of those homes are not occupied by little humans. That or the cleanliness only lasted long enough for someone to snap a picture. I’ll be the first to admit that on social media I try to make my house appear as clean as possible. Not because I’m embarrassed or ashamed, but simply because I don’t want the mess to overshadow my children’s sweet faces. Our homes should be centered around family activities and should be a comfortable place to live in. I try to make sure my kids pick up toys before bed and I get the dishes done but I’m not going to lose sleep over it when it’s not done.
2. Sleeping Schedules
With my first child I lived by On Becoming Baby Wise and I didn’t let anything interrupt the sleep schedule. If I couldn’t get an appointment that fit into the baby’s sleep schedule I was not happy. Yes, Brett learned to sleep like a champ and still does. Yes, I believe babies who get plenty of sleep are happier babies. However, people ring the doorbell during naps, kids drag their feet at bedtime, and life goes on. I have learned that kids are pretty flexible, it’s the parents who sometimes are not.
3. TV/iPad Time
Being a parent is hard. Sometimes it’s just easier to let our kids watch Frozen for the 1,000th time while we fold a load of laundry or rest our eyes for 10 seconds. I honestly don’t even know what the recommended amount of TV time is for kids anymore but I don’t care. My kids exercise with me almost daily, swim, or go to the park so I’m not gonna count the minutes they play on the iPad. One thing I do try and do is make sure they watch or play educational shows and games as often as possible. It’s the least I can do, right?
4. Potty Training
I’m no professional when it comes to potty training but I have observed this much from nieces, nephews, and my own kids: they are not all ready at the same time. When Brett was 27 months I did some serious research, got out my apron, candy, the sugary drinks, and potty trained him in 1 day. At the time I couldn’t hardly believe it and was pretty proud. However, I know now that he was just ready. Archer, who is currently 30 months, is not ready. I’m not going to force him or even bother trying until I see that he is ready or can go on command.
5. Bed Wetting
When I first potty trained Brett before age 2 (who is now almost 5), he had no issues wetting the bed. A few months later it started. I’m not sure why, but I got so frustrated changing sheets in the night that I just went ahead and bought training pants. Fast forward 2 more years and he is still not staying dry every night.
When I was younger, I’m talking 4th grade young, I had a problem staying dry in the night. It was upsetting to me because I didn’t want other kids to know and I didn’t feel comfortable spending the night with friends because I was extremely embarrassed. I don’t want Brett to ever get humiliated or feel uncomfortable over something like this.
Have you tried the GoodNites TruFit? If so, comment below and let me know what you think.
6. Messes
I’m going to throw my husband under the buss on this one. He freaks out about messes, especially when it comes to food. I’m not going to not give my kids Greek yogurt because it will get it in their hair, on their clothes, and all over the highchair. I see the messes as learning experiences and try to keep my patience when possible. When we’re done with the yogurt, Legos, crayons, whatever it is, we can clean it up and move on to the next mess.
7. Clearing the Plate
I try to feed my kids healthy food but mac and cheese and chicken nuggets are just so convenient sometimes. However, I do try to always include a fruit and veggie. This doesn’t mean they eat them, but I try. When my kids are whining at the table because they hate dinner and I’m ready to explode I try to remind myself how picky of an eater I was and how I hated when my mom said 3 more bites. I still make them take 3 more bites but I’m not gonna fight over the dang dinner for 30 minutes. Not worth it to me.
8. Tantrums in Public
We all hate when our kids throw a fit in public because they don’t want to sit in the cart or they NEED the new toy. I’m totally guilty on this one. But do you really care when someones else’s kid is screaming and crying? I don’t. I’m just glad it’s not my kid. So what I’m saying is that the person bothered the most is you. Take a deep breath and don’t rip your child’s ear off because you don’t want other people bothered. They will forget about your kid as soon as they walk out the door.
9. Germs
No matter how hard we try we will never be able to keep our kids germ free. I try not to think too hard about all the germs on the park playground or toys at church because it will get me nowhere. I teach my kids to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before meals. Besides, aren’t a few germs good for building up a strong immune system?
10. Kids Interrupting Your Workout
This one has by far been the hardest for me to learn. It used to make me crazy when I would have to stop in the middle of my 7 minute A.M.R.A.P. to move my kids out of the way or find the jump rope they disappeared with. I have learned that there is and will never be such a thing as the perfect workout. The best way to get over it is to consider it an extra obstacle and make it work. My kids usually just want attention or to workout with me so it’s best for everyone if I include them as best I can. My air squats often become toddler weighted squats, 400 meter runs require grabbing the stroller, and burpees require a sidekick.
No Comments