12 Things Parents Can Do Everyday With Their Children

11. Look After Yourself

Self-care is such an important aspect of parenting that we’re honestly surprised it doesn’t get as much air time as it needs to. As well as looking after your kids, and making sure they’re getting what they need to survive and to thrive, you need to look after yourself. Try and make sure you’re getting enough water, enough sleep, and enough decent food.

Don’t stress about the clothes you’re wearing, choose items that make you feel confident and comfortable. Call your friends when you notice they’re struggling, and they’ll call you when they see the same thing. Take time for your own life, to dance at midnight in the bathroom, to sing loudly in the car, to remember that you are a parent, but that’s not everything people need to know about you. That matters too.

12. Have Faith And Let Go

At the end of the day, after everything is said and done, the most important thing that parents should remember to do is to have faith in family, and let go of everything else. You are a great parent. Your children are smart and capable.

You are going to get through the hard times, and you are enough for your kids. What you choose to do is the right thing for your family, even if it isn’t what someone else might have done. Let go of the guilt, of how you imagined things might have been in the past, and of your need for perfection. Take what you’ve got, embrace it fully, and enjoy it while it lasts. Parenting is a rollercoaster, and we’re all along for the ride.