There is a lot of worry for parents currently, during this unprecedented time of the covid-19 lockdown, and this is so understandable - There is worry about the health of loved ones, and there is worry about the financial changes that are occurring for their family as a result of the lockdown, and there is worry about the future too - How long will this last? How will we cope if this lasts much longer? Will someone I know get sick from this virus? And so on ... These are certainly worries I've had myself recently, and they are certainly questions I've asked myself too.
There also appears to be considerable worry in regards to parenting during the lockdown, again very understandably - How do we home-school in the best way for our child? How do we home-school at all? How do we get our child to listen and cooperate when we are attempting to home-school? How do we keep our children occupied for the lockdown? How to keep our children from fighting between themselves? Do we have enough craft ideas to keep them busy for the lockdown? Again, how long will this lockdown last anyway?! And of course - How do we keep the children from disturbing the parent who is working from home? And if both are working from home - How do we juggle everything? How do we work, and home-school, and entertain our children, and how do we do it all as perfectly as possible so that they thrive through this time? If we can't juggle all of this perfectly will our children suffer? Will their schooling suffer? Will their emotional wellbeing and mental health suffer?
Understandably, there is a lot of pressure on parents right now to be EVERYTHING for their children, and to be everything as perfectly as possible. And I'm guessing what makes it even worse is that we all have Instagram or Facebook feeds full of seemingly perfect parenting moments, even during this lockdown ... you know, those feeds of those other parents ... the ones who seem to be coping so much better than us right now ...
And this is exhausting - Its exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally. So it may be of some relief to read that parenting perfection is also just NOT NECESSARY.
Your children don't need perfection. Your children don't need you to be 'super parents' right now, or ever in fact.
It may be a relief to read that your children are likely to grow into more courageous, connected and compassionate people in the context of IMPERFECTION, not perfection!
Below is a link to an article I wrote some time ago for the online Support Local magazine, which is a local magazine here in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. In it, I explain more how your imperfection as a parent is actually a GIFT to your children - And that not only is imperfection in parenting ok, it is exactly what your children NEED from you!
With feelings of imperfection all the more likely under the current stressors, I'm hopeful that you'll find it useful now:
