Today for the Parenting With Purpose series, I have one challenge for you:
In your parenting, embrace freedom from your own unreasonable expectations.
Pursue progress, not perfection!
This has been an ongoing struggle for me, starting when I was pregnant with our first baby. I read books, checked in on forums, flipped through magazines, listened to podcasts, and in general devoured anything on pregnancy and parenting I could get my hands on.
It was an exhausting endeavor.
Today I’m sharing with you a post I wrote one night after my kids had cake for dinner and I finally realized it was okay if my kids didn’t eat the perfectly balanced diet every day. If you can relate, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments.
Let’s encourage one another in this purpose-driven but progress-focused journey and toss perfectionism out the window!
My Kids Ate Cake For Dinner & Why It’s Really Okay
Embrace Freedom or the Prison of Perfection?
After reading Emily Freeman’s book Grace for the Good Girl this past winter, I realized I can’t possibly meet the laundry list of unreasonable expectations I set for myself.
It happens on a daily basis.
My ideal situation collides with my reality and I’m faced with a decision; do I succumb to the feelings of inadequacy and fear of “what if” or do I change my perspective, look at the moment for what it is, and embrace freedom from my self-induced personal prison of perfection?
More and more, I’m choosing the later. And when I do, the version of myself striving for perfection in every area of my life shrinks a bit and the true me, the one that lives in flesh and blood in a fallen world, comes to life.
As a result, on occasion my kids have cake for dinner. And I’m okay with it. {Click to read the rest of the post…}
Sharing today with Meredith at Woman2Woman Wednesday.
I love this! I get so caught up in feeling like everything has to be a certain way or I’ll surely be the WORST MOM EVER! (*gasp!*) – sometimes I just have to let go and say “Yea, it’s okay if we have cereal tonight for dinner.” The world won’t end. My kids teeth won’t fall out from one extra serving of cocoa krispies. I can still be a good mom even in my imperfections.
Thank you for being so honest. I have to admit having dinners that were far from healthy on many occasion but one that sticks out was a meal that consisted mostly of junk food-yum but no nutritional value. The boys probably had milk to drink so it was somewhat healthy-right?? Perfection is never an attainable goal so we just need to admit that and move on!
Oh, this is so good LeeAnn!! Yes, progress isn’t always perfection…or ever for me, but it’s progress nonetheless and if I make progress, it’s a good day. 😉 I fail at breakfast more than anything…like seriously my daughter had BBQ chips and an oatmeal cookie the other day…and I’m pretty sure she didn’t get a bath that night. Yikes. Love these thoughts from you and for keeping it real. I need to know others are on the same page and we definitely are. 😉 XO
Ohhhh YES! I think I need to repeat this to myself over and over and over through the day:
In your parenting, embrace freedom from your own unreasonable expectations. Pursue progress, not perfection!
I tweeted it for all the other mama’s who needed to see it as much as I did…..but I think I need to print it and hang it all around my house, too!
Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Thank you for this post.
You’re welcome! 🙂