The times might change but one thing stays constant—raising kids. And speak to any parent in your social circle and you’re bound to hear about what a ridiculously awesome challenge it is. Fun but exhausting. Heartwarming yet tiring. Absolutely hilarious but bordering on tears because your kids won’t eat the meal they asked for and you haven’t slept for, seemingly, years. Raising munchkins is a natural part of life and, at the end of the day, building a family together is one of the coolest parts of life on Planet Earth. (Right next to owning cats and dogs.)
But don’t just take our word for it. There are plenty of parents sharing the funny, quirky, and sometimes mind-boggling ups and downs of their daily lives raising kids right on social media. And Bored Panda’s collected some of the best recent parenting tweets for you to kick back with and enjoy. Perhaps with a hot mug of tea and that candy bar that you hid away from all your other family members.
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Done upvoting your fave parenting tweets of the month? Want some more parenting wins and woes to read during work? You’re cordially invited to check out our earlier lists from March, February, and January 2021. Happy scrolling!
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Asking somebody about parenting is pretty much the same as mentioning politics, religion, and Covid-19: everybody’s got an opinion, a handful of theories, and odds are they believe that their approach is the right one.
When it comes to parenting, however, there isn’t just one approach. Different folks have different goals. Some parents value independence and self-sufficiency the most so they want their child to be self-reliant as soon as possible. Other parents want to instill more progressive values in their kids, so they start teaching them consent from the time they’re babies. On the flip side, you have parents who want their children to grow up in a more traditional household. There’s no single answer on how to raise your kids.
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However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a goldmine on advice on how to be a good parent, whatever path you’ve chosen for your family.
One of the harshest truths about raising kids is that you’ll never ever (ever) be a ‘perfect parent.’ No matter how hard you try, it’s an illusion that’s actually making you miserable because of how unreachable that goal is. You can be a good parent. Heck, even a great one! But perfection is best left on the wayside because of how much stress it puts on your shoulders.
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And we’re not the only ones who think perfection should be binned when it comes to parenting. Anita Cleare, parenting expert and the author of ‘The Work/Parent Switch,’ earlier told Bored Panda that trying to be a perfect parent is bad for everyone involved because “it sets everybody up to fail.”
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According to Cleare, the founder of the Positive Parenting Project, we should all aim for parenting that’s ‘good enough’ because that’s what’s best for our children. What this means is “getting it right most of the time but also failing your children in ways they can handle—so that they gradually increase their independence.” And independence, in Cleare’s opinion, helps prepare our children for the real world.
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“Great parents make mistakes but they try to learn from them (and not to repeat them too often!),” the parenting expert said that we should all cut ourselves a bit of slack while at the same time ensuring that we don’t get caught in an endless loop of repeating the same mistakes.
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Part of letting go of the idea of being a ‘perfect’ parent also involves learning to listen to your own needs and to find the time to get some rest. Family life can be exhausting, largely for new parents. And especially during a global pandemic.
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So among the endless stress, exhaustion, hunger, and lack of sleep, parents need to look after themselves. They’re not doing anyone any favors by putting themselves last. Quite the opposite. However, if they’re full of energy and love of life, it’s a bonus for the entire family.
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“Putting yourself last is not good for you or for your kids. Even when you are really busy, try to find regular 5-20 minute breaks in your day when you can relax, practice some mindfulness, or do something joyful,” parenting expert Cleare told Bored Panda during an earlier interview.
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What’s more, maintaining a positive mindset is also vital. You can do that by identifying the things that you’re grateful for at the end of each day. Cleare suggested starting off by thinking about three things that you’re incredibly glad to have in your life. “Looking for the positives really does increase positivity,” she said.
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So remember to stop wanting to be a ‘perfect’ parent and go be a great parent instead, dear Pandas. Meanwhile, we’d love to hear some fun tidbits from your own family lives. Has anything hilarious happened recently? What are you most grateful for when it comes to your family? How do you find the time to relax when life doesn’t seem to stop rushing forward? Share your thoughts and feelings below.
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Source: boredpanda.com