Things That Do Not Make You a Bad Parent

By Anisha Nair - Updated: December 13, 2018

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5 Things That Do Not Make You a Bad Parent

Children are precious gifts and so are mothers. But, parenting can be challenging and there are times when you just forget to or don’t feel like doing something. It’s okay. Find out the things normal parents do that aren’t entirely good, but aren’t bad either!

Parenting should not be taken as a burden. The best way to be a wonderful parent is to know when to let go. Worrying or feeling guilty over every matter about your children will just drive you and them nuts. The next time you’re tempted to admonish them or keep them from eating a second cone of ice cream, assess whether you really need to.

5 Things That Do Not Make You a Bad Parent

1. Letting them eat junk every now and then

It’s not always possible to eat healthy food each and every day especially with kids. Change is good. Instead of forcing them to eat the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins all the time, you could make room for a small bit of junk food like pizzas or fries or chips. You could tell your children that if they eat healthy for the whole week, come Saturday, and you’ll take them to their favourite ice cream parlour or burger joint.

2. Pretending

Kids don’t have control over their sweet tooth. Being a parent, it’s your duty to see that they don’t eat too many sweets, cakes and candies. When they’re not around, you can pick a few out of the jar and store them away or indulge yourself. They may wonder why their treats are finishing so quickly but you don’t need to tell them what’s going on!

3. Telling white lies

You should know when and how to lie. For instance, if your child uses up a lot of batteries for his toys, just take them out from one of his favourites. This way, you can teach him how to play with limited resources. If he asks you where the batteries are, you can turn the question around and ask him where he kept them!

4. Not being too cautious

You don’t need to panic when you can’t get everything done every day. Know that it’s okay to miss doing the laundry or vacuuming the carpet. You can use the time to spend with your children. Read stories to them, watch movies with them, catch up on their lives. It’s a terrific way to bond and they’ll love being able to have conversations with their mama.

5. Not feeling guilty

You shouldn’t feel bad if you forget to do something. So you were caught up with work that you forgot to brush your child’s teeth. It’s okay. Maybe you didn’t iron his school shirt because you were too busy packing lunch. It’s fine. Moms are human and with so much you get done every day, you’re excused if you miss out on stuff sometimes. Relax and reassure yourself whenever you feel guilty.

Caring and over-caring are two different things. There might be certain things normal parents do that they regret but give yourself a break. As long as your children are healthy, polite and kind, give yourself the occasional pat on the back. No one can play your role better than you!

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