Parenting rant ahead....

This came up in my pinterest feed a little while ago and has been stuck in my head ever since. To be honest I don't agree with it. I get that whoever wrote it was probably trying to give everyone warm fuzzies about a mother's sacrificial love for her children, but for me it has the opposite effect. I feel like these kinds of statements make motherhood seem like this freefall of loosing yourself to guarantee the all important happiness and success of your children. That the moment you have a child you give up your right to dream, to pursue what you are passionate about. That if your world isn't consumed with satisfying your child's wants and desires you are selfish. Destined to be labeled a "bad parent". This might be one reason why moms deal with so much guilt. There is this idea that we need to give our kids perfection. Perfect birthday parties, perfect clothes, perfect opportunities. That we should soften every blow, enroll in every fun event or activity, run ourselves ragged in the name of creating a "perfect childhood".

What if there is no such thing? What if you are actually a better parent when you have an outlet all your own? When you pursue a dream? When you take some time for yourself? What if parenthood was never meant to be all about making a child happy and instead about teaching that child about life? What if being the center of the universe isn't good (not to mention realistic) for anyone, let alone little humans who are already prone towards a self centered attitude.

I personally think that kids need to see their parents passionately pursuing their God given dreams. They need to see that there are things worth fighting for, working hard towards, making sacrifices for. They need to see that excitement and passion for things doesn't just stop when you "grow up". They need to know that God didn't give us our unique personalities and purposes for a short while and then boom they are done. I definitely believe that there are seasons in life, each with there own set of responsibilities, struggles and triumphs. But I don't believe that God takes the time to create us for a purpose only to cut that off when we have children.

And I see the struggle. The passionate dreamer both wanting to have a baby and terrified that it means the end. The end of purpose, passion, and adventure. I for one think God is a better planner than that. I think the children He will give that dreamer will be better off because of her passion, her outlook on life, her love of adventure. The gifts and callings that God gives us in life don't have to compete with our relationships with our children, instead they can enhance them and teach them more than we will ever know.

Keep Dreaming!