How To Ignore The Pressure To 'Get It Right' As A Parent

From the moment you find out you’re going to become a parent, you want to ensure that you do a great job. No one wants to be a lousy parent and jeopardize their child. But parents-to-be are usually extremely anxious about getting everything just right. They are plagued with questions about taking the right vitamins, nesting the right way and eating the right foods. And this only gets worse once the baby arrives and grows older. Are they breathing correctly, are you disciplining them the right way, are you too lenient? The questions and doubts are endless and the unrealistic expectations that society has of parents doesn’t help better. No matter what you do, someone will always have something negative to say, which can discourage parents and make them feel even more unprepared and insecure. But if you’re tired of feeling pressured by others and yourself to get things right all the time, then this is the article for you. Here are a few ways in which you can ignore the strain of being a perfect parent and be the parent your child needs instead.

In This Article

1. The Anxiety Of “Not Getting It Right” Is The Primary Problem

The Anxiety Of “Not Getting It Right” Is The Primary Problem
share button

Image: Shutterstock

If you want to stop feeling an immense pressure to always do the right thing when it comes to your child, you need to understand where that anxiety stems from. For most people, this comes from a place that doesn’t want you to mess up. Maybe it’s because of unhealed trauma from their own childhood or character traits of a parental figure that they are afraid of exhibiting. Whatever the case may be, you need to know that as long as you are mindful, you are not going to mess things up for your child.

Even someone who comes from a stelar family background can be anxious about doing the wrong thing, and it’s usually this feeling that leads us to make mistakes in the first place. Trust your gut and intuition when it comes to your child. You don’t need to do everything everyone tells you to do. And you don’t always have to do things perfectly the first time you do them. It’s okay for your baby’s first diaper to be a little crooked or for you to embarrass them a little at their first soccer game. Everything is a learning experience for you and your baby. So give yourself time to learn the ropes.

2. Not Breastfeeding Doesn’t Mean You’ve Messed Up

Not Breastfeeding Doesn’t Mean You’ve Messed Up
share button

Image: Shutterstock

Some women just fair better at breastfeeding than others, and it has nothing to do with them. Maybe it’s because their baby refuses to latch onto them and therefore needs to be nursed with a bottle with a smaller nipple size. Or maybe it’s because the mother is unable to produce enough breastmilk for her child no matter what she eats or does. And that’s okay! We all know how important breastmilk is for the baby but stressing yourself out will not help you produce more breastmilk.

You are not a failure if you can’t breastfeed your little one. There are many ways to ensure that they get the breast milk they need. Nowadays you can purchase breast milk from reliable sources or just formula feed. At the end of the day, a fed baby is better than one who doesn’t get enough breast milk from their mother. So don’t be shy to search all your options instead of beating yourself up about something you can’t control.

3. Feeling The Party Pressure

Feeling The Party Pressure
share button

Image: Shutterstock

A huge part about being a good parent nowadays seems to be about being a good host. People feel the need to make their kid’s parties unnecessarily extravagant and complex. But does your child really need catered food, a bouncy house, expensive decorations and hand crafted take home bags to enjoy their birthday? Most parents don’t even enjoy their child’s birthday because they are so busy trying to ensure that everything is perfect. But at the end of the day, your child won’t care about the ridiculous decorations you kept rearranging. They’d much rather have you by their side, enjoying the day with them. So don’t succumb to the pressure of out doing all the other parents when it comes to your child’s birthday. If all they want to do is dress up in costumes and get burgers, then feel free to do just that.

4. Don’t Miss Out On The Good Stuff

Don’t Miss Out On The Good Stuff
share button

Image: Shutterstock

Kids grow up so fast and precious memories can pass by in the blink of an eye. Don’t let your need to get things right all the time stop you from being present and enjoying life with your little one. Sure, it’s probably messy and chaotic. But that’s where all the magic lies.

Being a parent means constantly worrying if you’re doing the right thing. But this doesn’t mean you need to let it eat you up from inside. You can still be a great parent and be present, adaptable and fun!

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.