It’s time for some honesty: before becoming a parent, I was definitely one of those people who watched other parents and thought, “I will NEVER do that with my children.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Needless to say, 80% of what I thought I would 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 do, I have done at one point or another since becoming a parent. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s probably not all that surprising. The part that I found to be more surprising, and substantially more important, is that it’s critical to continue to evolve your beliefs as you go through your parenting journey. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The parents we thought we wanted to be when we had one one infant are not the same parents we have adapted to become with 3 children. Beliefs we had 6 years ago when we become parents, based on how we were parented ourselves, do not necessarily continue to fit who we are, or who are children need. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘴. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We do what we know until we know better. It’s okay to ask for help and to delve deeper into information you didn’t know existed before. It’s okay to be open minded to ideas that your parents would never have accepted (or maybe, still won’t accept). And it’s okay, and I would even say admirable, to change, adapt and expand your beliefs as a parent based on how your children have changed you, and who you feel you need to be for them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Can I get a show of hands from those who had certain beliefs before becoming a parent, that have drastically changed since actually having children? 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
