One of the many lessons I learned from becoming a mother to Arabella is that I should stop comparing my life to others. The more I stop letting the lives of others dictate my life, the more rich it becomes.
- Preemie, or otherwise, babies develop at their own rate. So your brothers friends cousin had a kid that started walking at 9 months. All your friends babies have uttered their first words. Who cares? Even if your child isn’t doing the things that other babies are doing, I promise it won’t make it any less exciting when they do begin to do these things. When I stopped playing the “she should be doing this” game everything became all the more exciting. I’ve never been more proud than the moment she first crawled. Nobody can take your firsts from you, unless you allow them.
- The brand of diapers you buy, whether you breast or formula feed, the stores you shop at, the daycare your child attends, whether you’re a working parent or you stay at home. There is no one right way to do anything. It’s time we stop putting so much pressure on parents to do things the right way. If your child is fed, clothed and has a roof over their head, I’d say you’re doing a pretty damn good job. Parenting is tough enough as it is, we don’t need the added pressure of trying to do everything that society tells us is “correct.”
- Lastly, let’s stop judging others and how they choose to do things. Stop assuming your way is the right way and recognize that everyone is on their own journey, a journey which you know nothing about.
So, let’s stop comparing and worrying about how so and so does this, that and the other. At the end of the day, what does it really matter? Twenty years from now you’re not going to remember how little Johnny, from down the street, was raised. It’s your story that matters, so make it count. Own your story and don’t let anyone else tell you how to write it.
xo, Jess
