30 Days of Blogging: Day 15

Day 15: What is something that I struggle with?

There are a couple of things that I struggle with, but I find myself struggling with being a parent the most. I am not a perfect person and I am still learning about who I am as an individual, so that makes parenting seem even more complicated to me. 

It's like, when my kids were little, parenting was fairly easy. I mean, telling them no was always an issue because it could blow up in your face either way it went, but no matter what, they still loved you. You knew that they still loved you because their little hugs and kisses told you so. Their sweet little voices coo'd it to you in your ear. But my kids aren't little anymore, haven't been little for while. I have a 13 year old daughter and an 11 year old son and I find that I am their mortal enemy more often than not.

For me, it's easy to cut people off or walk away from them when they cause me unnecessary stress, but I can't do that to my children. I can't shut them out or cold shoulder them. Some days, I find it hard trying to protect my sanity from their mood swings. I can't help but to wonder how other parents before me have done it.

My children are little humans that are still learning about the world and themselves. Humans that I brought into this world and vowed to protect them with every fiber of my being. But there are times when I question am I the right person to protect them. The world is a cruel and dangerous place and I am not a superhero of any kind. I try not to smother them or shelter them to the point that it suffocates them and I seem to be doing an okay job.

I have my husband (their father) and my family to help. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and I have been blessed to have that village for them. That village keeps me sane so that I don't get overwhelmed and walk away; plus, it stops me from going overboard with the fears that we all know are very real. 

Parenting is a lifetime commitment that takes balances and it almost seems like any little thing can throw it off. The juggling act never seems to let up because each stage of your child's life brings with it a whole new amount of ups and downs. However, at the end of the day, I really wouldn't change this struggle for anything in the world. My children mean the world to me; they have helped me grow as an individual and they are the main reason behind my drive to succeed.