Parenting on a Banana Peel

I’ve said before how there is no such thing as a perfect parent. I’ve never met one and I am far from a perfect parent  myself. I have plenty of moments where I think, “Hmmph, if my readers could see/hear me now!”

Those moments occur far too often these days. I’ve hit a wall. It’s harder to have a fresh perspective and fresh start with BG (my oldest). I feel resentful to her for sabotaging our family’s happiness often and recently. I’m disappointed with myself for feeling so tangled up in this mess. And mostly I am sad for her and whatever she is experiencing.

So tomorrow Superdad and I will go brainstorm with a family therapist. And I have to say, I’m so excited. I used to send other parents to this particular therapist because of her instinctive knack and the constant rave reviews. I’ve also been told that she and I are like spitting images of each other when it comes to parenting. So, it feels safe and full of promise. The promise of some family peace!

And the promise of getting some traction on this slippery kid. In all of her delight and spunk, she has this one little slippery area that we can’t quite put a finger on. Just when we do, it slips out from under us again and changes form.

So, why am I telling you all of this? I’m hesitant  to air my kid’s dirty laundry online. And, it’s not really about that or her. It’s to highlight – again – that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. No one is flawless. But, in recognizing my weak spots I can be reaching for greatness.

I don’t measure my parenting aptitude by how I handle the smooth moments. I measure it by how I handle the hard ones. And lately, it’s not been great. I feel like I’m parenting on a banana peel.

I’m losing my footing, and need someone to help ground and guide me off this slippery path. And part of being a great parent is to recognize when you’ve hit a wall (or lost an objective viewpoint) and have the courage to ask for help. That’s what we’ll be doing tomorrow. Asking for some help.