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Being a parent, Perfect or real

I cried today along with my toddler. He does cry very often because little kids do that to get attention or to get a message across. Also, they seem to have a meltdown every now and then. So, crying comes easily to them since birth. For long, I told myself that I can deal with all the meltdowns and be calm because I read somewhere that it’s important to be cool and composed with kids all the time.

But I broke the rules. I raised my voice. I broke down. I cried even as my toddler shed tears. We did have a good reason but to someone reading this, it would seem silly. It did seem silly to me as well, that is, until it happened to me. My son has his rough days sometimes because of constipation because kids can be picky eaters or maybe he simply doesn’t want to poop or maybe I messed up his diet (I am trying hard to beat the guilt). A google search suggested that it was normal for kids to constipate and that they grow out of it soon. So did my doctor tell the same thing. It sounded reassuring but not for long.

When day two rolled in, there was simply no relief with my son clutching his tummy in pain. I kept calm for as long as I could, telling myself that this was just a rough day and that, we would grow out of it soon. Midday, when nothing I did worked, I called my husband and cried – “he won’t poop. I don’t know what to do.” My husband promptly said he was coming back home to rescue me. (My son thinks I am a supermom and I think my husband is a superman while in reality, we are messed up humans).

Quite often, my husband has commented that writing a blog about parenting and being a parent aren’t the same things. A part of me thinks he may be right.

When my son finally found relief after a long struggle that involved (car rides, laxatives, juices and list of rhymes), I breathed a sigh of relief. Even as I winded down for the day, I realized a few things.

1.       Its okay to cry in front of your kids (It’s impossible to show your best self all the time).
2.       There will be times when you can simply be there for your child but can’t do much.

I know I didn’t have to deal with a whole lot today. But I do know, there are lot of parents dealing with so many other things when it comes to kids. I can't say enough for the courage they carry in their eyes every single day. Perhaps, as the saying goes, “There is no such thing as being a perfect parent, but one can only be a REAL parent.”


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