Just be a Parent

And I mean literally.
Well, with dad always traveling for work, it mostly leaves Gauri and I to manage everything on our own, atleast during the weekdays.
Although, we do not notice, forget appreciate, our husbands for helping us with the baby but once they are not around – we very quickly realize what the poor dads were doing in helping us with the baby.... even if it means watching the baby while watching the other baby - "TV", it still is such a big help! How on earth would we have otherwise done anything in the house.

I am still discovering about raising a child, but by far, I think, Toddler stage is probably the most difficult one. The kid is more “I”, “me”, “Myself” yet wont understand when you try to tell them something. They are exploring everything around them and there is nothing that can stop a “curious George”. "Mommy, my hands are messy"
Parenting is hard enough but trying to raise a little with out an in-home partner is undoubtedly twice the work and most challenging for both the parent as well as the child.
As a “single parent” (for lack of better word for this unique situation that working couples are in) you have to deal with everything yourself from morning rush, to fixing dinner, food for the next day, bath time, playtime, bedtime, midnight crying, shopping, driving, childcare projects, daily disciplining and teaching and everything in between. And if this is not enough, just add to this mix – a full time job!! And even if you are sick and extremely exhausted it falls on you to step up and do what’s required.
Earlier (up until recently), I was a perfectionist and I would go above and beyond my capabilities to get things right and then get so over worked with it that I would not have the energy left to fully enjoy the moment. But it only took one class project of Gauri that I had to complete in just about 15 minutes because I totally forgot about it and I was not ready to let my little girl go to the daycare without her decorated heart-cut-out. Thanks to my collection of junk I was able to complete her project and send it with her but I felt bad - bad that it was really meant to do with her and not just do it on my own; I wish I had done a better job at it but I had to stop beating myself, after all, I am only human. And soon I realized that something had to change and that I need to enjoy the experience of raising my child. So I decided on the following tips to create a healthy happy environment for myself, my husband and our child.
- Stop striving for perfection - Good-enough is enough.
- Stop trying to be a super-mom and ask for help.
- Stop worrying about other parents and other’s in general and do what best I can and be happy with that.
- Make peace with my situation and accept it.
- Be appreciative of my partner and stop being frustrated.
- And above all – be A parent and stop acting like both.