US President Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams’ character in Night at the Museum!) said the above and it is so true for every aspect of our lives, but particularly being a parent! How many times have you looked at someone’s post on social media of their seemingly perfect children behaving perfectly in their immaculate house, with their pristine outfits eating all the healthy food, whilst reading Harry Potter books at age 3! Right the last bit might be a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean!
Social Media is where we share our best bits generally and we don’t always show how we got to those best bits, the hours of tidying, the screams of protest and the bribery it took to get
them to sit for 3 seconds for the photo! All of it is an illusion, but don’t take it as a negative to beat yourself up with!
As Rebecca Eanes says in her blog ‘Ditching social media comparison saved my motherhood’
‘Those mums posting pictures of spotless children and impressive dinners- they are all just sharing the wins that make them feel good, because behind the photo is a mum who struggles too’
Those photos are the record that they’ve actually achieved something today.
If you’re following someone and it makes you always look at their life and feel bad about your own then unfollow them! We need to look for and appreciate the good things in our life and not focus on what we don’t have or else that’s all we will see!
Our little one’s development is another area in which we tend to compare and sometimes compete! I remember saying to my best mate (our boys are 9 weeks apart) oh does he only have 1
weetabix Matthew has 2! I mean really!
Every child develops at their own speed and the milestones that they are all compared to are averages, meaning some do it earlier, some do it later! Try not to worry if your little one isn’t
doing all the same things as children their age, they will do it in their own time and further on down the line you will look back and think what was I worrying about there!!
We are all different, the world would be a very boring place if we were all the same and we all have our skills and gifts that will contribute to making this world a better place.