18. I Thought We’d Be the Perfect Parents…

Before our baby arrived, we had plans. Oh, we were going to do it right.

No screens. Homemade baby food. Montessori everything. We'd speak in gentle tones. Never raise our voices. Stay calm during tantrums. We even printed out a feeding chart and taped it to the fridge like we were running a science lab.

Then reality happened.

I handed over the iPad just to buy 20 minutes to make dinner. I fed my toddler toast and cheese cubes for lunch… three days in a row. I snapped when I was tired. I gave in when I said I wouldn’t. And that chart on the fridge? Yeah, it’s still there—blank.

For a while, I felt like we’d failed. Like we weren’t doing this “right.” But then I started paying attention to the little things that actually mattered.

Like how our child runs to us when they’re scared.
How they sing silly songs in the car.
How they say “I love you” without being asked.
How they know they are safe and seen and loved.

Perfection was never the point. Connection is. Consistency is. Grace is.

So no, we’re not perfect parents. But we are good parents. We’re doing our best. And our best includes laughter, forgiveness, frozen waffles, and love that shows up again and again.

I’ve let go of the fantasy now. And honestly? I like this messy, magical reality way better.