Even though I have been a parent for a relatively short time, almost three years to be exact, I am acutely aware of just how tough of a job it is. When I had my first baby, I learned that it was not easy to keep up with his needs let alone take care of myself and my home. As Dylan grew so did his needs, and taking care of him became even more challenging. At the same time, despite the challenges of raising a toddler there are also many rewards. Things like watching him master new pieces of playground equipment or hearing him spin tall tales about his imaginary dump truck bring me immense joy because I am seeing him become himself.
Now that I have another baby, my perspective on baby care has changed. Taking care of a baby is far easier than taking care of a toddler. Regardless of the difficulty involved, I am always reminded of something that I started learning soon after Dylan was born. Parenting is not easy, and it requires that we work at it. By working at it, I mean searching the depths of our souls for the strength to bring our best selves to the table moment by moment, day by day.
Like I said, this is not always easy. On days when I am short on sleep or feeling otherwise depleted, I struggle to bring my best self to the task at hand and I often fall short of my parenting goals. At other times I am able to bring out the best in myself and my children and parent in ways that I am proud of. Whatever the outcome, I am always working at it, always trying to do the best that I can at that very moment. No parent is perfect, but if you approach parenting with your best efforts you can create a rich and rewarding experience for your children and for yourself.