All my kids have cavities and I'm still a good mom.

It's so hard as a new parent not to compare yourself to others. It's so hard not to judge yourself. It's so hard to accept that a difficult moment or a difficult day doesn't make you a terrible parent. It's so hard to be kind and gentle with ourselves.  Why is that?  I think it's because the extreme emotions that come along with parenting are not often discussed.  There's still shame attached to any negative emotions related to parenting even though it's completely normal.  We need to surrender to all of the emotions that come along with parenting.

Until we can surrender we will continue to focus on stuff. So go ahead and buy the stroller you want and know that you will absolutely come upon a time when you will be pushing an empty stroller while carrying your baby.  Remember in those moments that a wise postpartum doula once told you to make sure you always bring your baby wrap or carrier with you when you use the stroller.  Go ahead and buy the adorable diapers with the cute prints and know that you will absolutely come upon a time when you will be covered in unwanted baby bodily fluids. Remember in those moments that a wise postpartum doula once told you to make sure you always have a change of clothes for yourself (not just the baby) handy. I always preferred to leave my back up outfit in my car instead of in the diaper bag since I already had the bag over loaded with stuff I wouldn't need ( yeah, that's a thing too).  Go ahead and buy the monochromatic wooden toys and know that you will absolutely come upon a time when people will gift your baby plastic toys that make a ton of noise. Remember in those moments that a wise postpartum doula once told you there's no shame in donating those toys to organizations like baby2baby.  It's always acceptable to model charity for your children to learn by example. Go ahead and buy the baby banana toothbrush and toothpaste and brush that baby's teeth and know that you are a good parent even when that baby gets "in between the teeth" cavities. Remember in those moments that a wise postpartum doula once told you that "in between the teeth" cavities are genetic (so I'm told by the dentist) and that flossing can help reduce the risk of them forming but cannot guarantee protection against them. 

You are exactly the perfect parent for your child because they chose you. Surrender to all of the emotions and thrive on your parenting journey.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Until next time.

With love, warmth, and kindness,

Raquel