Parenting
“What’s it like to be a parent: It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do but in exchange it teaches you the meaning of unconditional love.”
Nicholas Sparks
Being a parent is difficult. Not only does a baby not come with an instruction manual, but also there is the constant judgment of everyone around you. We live in a time where the Internet has become a huge part of our daily lives. Those days of using the computer to only research on Encarta are gone. Today, you can do anything from research, to work, to sharing parts of your life through social media with family, friends, and strangers. This can be a great experience until someone does not agree with what you’re sharing and all the negative comments, and unasked for advice, come in.
Social media is not the only place to get unsolicited advice. I remember hearing my friend tell me about her experience at the gym one day. She was telling me that she went to the gym, like usual, and left her one and a half year old son in the daycare. When she returned for him, she was told that he had taken the toy of another boy and then pushed him. When she asked the attendant how the incident was handled, she told her that he had been put in time out for ten minutes because he had to learn his lesson. He had to learn his lesson. Unsolicited advice.
Family and friends have the best intentions when sharing tips and giving advice. As first time parents, this might be the help you need. Yet, there comes a time when you begin to feel more confident in your ability as a parent to make correct decisions in your children’s lives. This confidence can clash with other’s opinions and cultural norms, which is where another set of unsolicited advice, and critical comments, come in. Comments ranging from how to put the baby to sleep, to what the baby should wear, what the child should eat, to how they should act, and what they should know, can be not only hurtful, but also disrespectful to a parent.
It is very important to remember to be confident in your ability to be a great parent. You will make many mistakes, but the great thing is that you will learn from them. That love that you feel for your child, for your children, is what will help you through the great journey called Parenting. If at any moment you feel that you need extra help, that you need good parenting tools, or that you need someone to simply listen to you, please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment with one of our Orlando mental health counselors.
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”
Benjamin Spock