I seem to be in a bit of a rut that's making me question whether I'm doing things the "right" way. Not that I didn't question before, but lately it's become annoyingly more frequent. It just seems that everyone is posting about literature that suggests we do this and experiences that suggest we do that and it all seems to eventually be contradicted somewhere else by someone else who swears
this is the "right" way to do it. And then I close the Internet browser window, drop the magazine, turn off the radio, and look at my kids. Two pretty wonderful seemingly well-adjusted children who, in my humble opinion, are the epitome of right. We must have done something really really right to be granted the privilege of parenting these two. Their scenarios are unique. There are wrongs and there is loss. We will continue to make our best effort to do things the best way possible. Whether that's always going to be considered "right" by everyone else is another story. But beyond the research, the trends, the recommendations, the absolutely-not-unless-you-want-to-scar-your-child-for-life kind of advice, there are two pretty happy kids enjoying pretty healthy lives and well, how much "wrong" could we be doing?
I seem to be in a bit of a rut that's making me question whether I'm doing things the "right" way. Not that I didn't question before, but lately it's become annoyingly more frequent. It just seems that everyone is posting about literature that suggests we do this and experiences that suggest we do that and it all seems to eventually be contradicted somewhere else by someone else who swears this is the "right" way to do it. And then I close the Internet browser window, drop the magazine, turn off the radio, and look at my kids. Two pretty wonderful seemingly well-adjusted children who, in my humble opinion, are the epitome of right. We must have done something really really right to be granted the privilege of parenting these two. Their scenarios are unique. There are wrongs and there is loss. We will continue to make our best effort to do things the best way possible. Whether that's always going to be considered "right" by everyone else is another story. But beyond the research, the trends, the recommendations, the absolutely-not-unless-you-want-to-scar-your-child-for-life kind of advice, there are two pretty happy kids enjoying pretty healthy lives and well, how much "wrong" could we be doing?
2 comments:
Right on, Jo.
I'm with you. I hate it when people act like there's a "right" way to be a parent. You can find literature to support just about any method of parenting you prefer, and I think parents need to stop kidding themselves that they're doing anything more than what they want to do. I don't know why so many people feel like they need to justify their choices by digging up random books and articles that tell them what they want to hear.
But even though I feel that way, I still worry sometimes that I'm screwing it all up. Anyway, I figure if there were a right way to raise a child they'd come with instruction manuals.
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