The toddler refused pants, the baby ate dog food, the older one spilled juice down the stairs, and I had exactly 3.5 hours of sleep and no coffee. So yeah, I yelled. Then I felt awful. Guilty. Like I’d ruined everything.
But here’s the truth I keep trying to learn: perfect parenting doesn’t exist.
What does exist? Apologies. Hugs. Trying again. Kids seeing that grownups make mistakes and say sorry, and that love doesn’t disappear just because we lost our cool for a minute.
So I sat on the floor, pulled my kids into a pile of limbs and snot and snack crumbs, and said, “I’m sorry. I had a big feeling. Let’s start fresh.” And they did. Because kids are resilient and forgiving and made of second chances.
You’re not failing. You’re doing the messy, real work of showing up—even when you’re tired, overwhelmed, and not your best self. That’s enough. You’re enough.
