My child ate ice-cream for breakfast today.
Vanilla with chocolate peanut butter to be exact. A great balance of a touch of protein and simple energy driving carbohydrates!
I didn’t serve it to him myself but I did give him permission to eat it. Am I still guilty? Hey he asked, bonus points to him!
Sometimes life calls for imperfect parenting. Sometimes imperfect parenting is just what your kids need. Sometimes it’s what parents need. Let me explain.
Let me rewind my story a bit.
The lull of the fan is blowing creating the perfect white noise for ushering rest, my bedroom is still dark thanks to some AMAZING blackout curtains (Side note, parents get these if you cherish rest. IMPROVE SLEEP w/ Easy to Install Total Blackout Light Blocking Shade for Windows. Fits Windows up to 38 Inches Wide By 72 Inches Tall. Non-Permanent Room Darkening Solution for Better Sleep.
For any parent, you can relate sleeping in after having kids to winning a small lottery in Godiva chocolate for a year….sweet and worth savoring …..and likely rare.
It was one of those glorious mornings that all planets aligned, the stars were just right the night before and God was showering a little favor on my home. My children were STILL SLEEPING at 8:30 am, EXCEPT my sweet “morning-person” child always chipper and talkative ready for me to get up and run a marathon with him in the morning.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a morning person. Well, I am a person who in the morning likes to sleep! HA!
The soft bed, the cool peaceful bedroom, the fact that my other children were still sleeping…this could not end thus ice-cream entered the picture. First it was promises of new legos and packs of gum for a few more minutes of sleep (yes bribing) which worked. The last time my sweet little voiced boy placed his last request I said yes!
My precious boy returned to me and I awoke at 9am …yes NINE…to cold little fingers and hugs and the sweet kisses of peanut butter chocolate ice-cream lips! Our day started on a sweet imperfect parenting start and was amazing the rest of the day…although not perfect!
I wanted to share my stories of imperfect parenting for a few reasons:
- No parent is “perfect” and who’s to say striving for this is the best for our kids.
- To often bloggers unintentionally can present themselves in a way that makes readers think “fantasy life, perfect parenting, beautiful meals and “just right” decor is reality. None of that is reality and I wanted to remind you all that imperfection is me, you and everyone and it is NORMAL.
- “Imperfect” parenting can be wonderful whether it be to create a little human that has more flexibility, empathy and real life understanding or just a happy face and tummy because their mom is THEE BEST for letting them eat ice cream for breakfast every once in awhile!
Here’s a few of my imperfect parenting truths that I hope bring a smile and laugh to you!
I want to help you know that if you still love your babies and care for them daily it’s OK to be human and STOP HAVING GUILT about it!
- One day all my kids ate for breakfast and lunch was organic strawberries and chips. No balance, just what we had and they loved it. I figure the 2 cartons of organic strawberries voided out the few bags of chips per kid. Good nutrition isn’t always in just that meal it’s what it looks like in a day at a time even a week at a time. Note to self offer veggies and lean protein for dinner.
- Bribing. I am NOT a parenting guru and at most I may be a failing survivalist some days. All I am saying is we all do it and sometimes money or a sucker is worth your SANITY! Ha!
- I have paid my kid to do their homework a time or two on rough homework nights. AH! I figure I am teaching him that “hard work” and determination earns THAT DOLLA BILL YA’LL! I figure after his piggy bank is full we will teach saving, tithing and responsible spending. Besides my stinker whips out those correct answers like no ones business with money. Like his momma I suppose.
- Technology can be your friend on stressful days “adulting” is required. I mean some of those games on the iPad are educational right? At the least quick finger movements are a must for the technologically advanced youth we are raising. Can you say high paid computer programmer or web designer? Its called training days.
I could go on and on. The moral of my story is this: 80% of my days I strive to be organized, limiting of all the improper things and expanding in all the areas that help my kids grow, I strive to offer (legit) balanced meals, teach my kids love and life and everything I think they need. 20% of the time I give myself PERMISSION WITHOUT GUILT to be “imperfect”.
Imperfect parenting is reality. It teaches kids life isn’t always going to be neat and tidy and controlled, it teaches kids flexibility and understanding and at the very minimum it TEACHES THEM that when they are “imperfect” humans that is NORMAL and everything is GOING TO BE OK and with a little luck, blessing from above and ice cream …the end of the story is a successful and meaningful one!
Cheers to imperfection, guiltless parenting and loving our children WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE!
Dovidenia. XO
P.S. For my secrets to raising healthy kids read here and nutrition ideas for healthy snacks read here.
