“There is no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one.” – Sue Atkins

Without a doubt the hardest job on the planet is that of being a parent. The stakes are so high because every mistake you make as a parent affects your children and you realize that so you agonize over trying to set the perfect example, and say all the perfect things, and have the perfect answers to all of their problems, and do all the perfect parenting things…and then one day you realize that it is impossible to be perfect so you have to simply do the best you can do and be real with them.

Someone asked me the other day what my biggest fear in life is and immediately I answered that my biggest fear is failing my children. Nothing makes me more sad then my children ever having to go through anything negative because I didn’t protect them from some evil in this world, or I didn’t teach them everything they needed to know, or I didn’t show them how to do something for themselves, etc. I feel the weight of responsibility that comes from knowing that God entrusted me with two of his children to be their guide and their example and to help lift them so they can be all He knows they are capable of.

But the truth is that I don’t always know the perfect thing to say to my kids, and I don’t always know the perfect way to share the advice I feel they need to hear, and I certainly don’t always do the perfect job of balancing helping them versus enabling them, and the reason I don’t is because I myself am not perfect – I am still learning and growing and  figuring things out myself and heaven knows I still have a long way to go.  So I have to remind myself that all I can do is to try my very best and help  to guide my children along their path through sharing things from my own life experiences and allow them to understand the lessons I have learned along the way. Then I have to focus my attention on trying to set a good example of living the values I believe in while aiming to grow and improve a little more each day. And most of all I have to admit to them that I don’t have all the answers and I don’t know how to handle everything perfectly as a parent, but let them know that I am doing my best to be honest and open and real with them

Our kids are worth all our effort and we owe it to them to be the very best parents we can be:

“Your greatest contribution to the Universe may not be something you do, but someone you raise.”

I know that to be true. My two children are my greatest contribution to the Universe because they are truly great people and I am very proud to be their parent, as imperfect a parent as I may be, I am perfectly proud of all that they are.

Hang in there parents. Just keep doing your best.

Have a FABULOUS weekend.

~Amy Rees Anderson