I remember with my son, who is now 13 years, I bought a couple of books, believe it or not- even Dr. Spoke's. I never read them though, maybe scanned through a chapter or two. My parenting career is now 13 years long. How am I doing it? I really don't know. But one thing for sure, we get a lot of remarks about how well brought up our children are. and we go like, ' really, Thanks, we don't know how that happened?' Some people are just generally bad at taking credit for things.
I will sound a bit philosophical now and of course this is purely my opinion.
How often don't we refer to our childhood, or parents- good or bad. How often don't we get the feeling that we are turning into our own parents,. Parents, who we disagreed with while they were parenting us. They implanted the values so deep that we did not realize that they were growing upon us. There were times I felt that I wished they had done things in another way. and I take that thought with me and try not to do the same with my kids. Our childhood shapes us so intensely.
It is no theory really. All I am saying is that there is no parenting school. Parenting is an experience. The more you do it, the better you get. Actually, you cannot guarantee even that.
I tell my children that I wasn't born a parent. I wanted to be a parent and I am so happy that life gave me an opportunity to do so. I feel so rich, it is so exciting, so soul calming. I even don't have a problem when it isn't that rewarding. They are my children after all. I am always there for them-always.
I take no shame telling my children that I too need to be taught how to be a parent. And that they can actually teach me at times. I tell them that we are not friends, we have a relationship based on love and respect but if come out every now and then as an annoying, non understanding kind of person at times, that is ok for me too. I tell my son, who is the older kid that he will possibly experience my mistakes as a parent more- the first time thing. He is after all the guinea pig.
Parenting is a job, a hobby, a creative streak that we just do all the time. Don't confuse it with JUST bringing up your children. Parenting for me is a part of life- I love every moment of it. The frustration of some failures just want me to get better the very next moment.
I am sorry kids if I am not a perfect parent all the time. But I am me and I don't think that any book could have taught me better- because you are unique. I love you both to pieces and that is what parenting means to me.
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