There is no getting around the fact that parenthood and family life is full of daily details—in fact, one could argue that when it comes to raising children it can seem like it is “all in the details.” BUT, being able to get away from the details and daily concerns once in a while and see the “big picture” can be a parent’s road to sanity…
Does this really matter in the BIG PICTURE? If I don’t mop the kitchen floor today or correct my child every single time he has his elbows on the table during meal time is my family going to fall apart? If a child gets one “C” or even flunks a class does this mean she will never get into college or have a loving and fulfilled life? You can see where I am going with this can’t you? Sometimes we get so focused on the minutia of the daily grind that we make little things seem way more important and impacting than they really are. Will it really matter thirty years from now if your son was potty-trained at the age of 2 ½ or the age of 3 ½?
I am not trying to say that the details don’t matter because many of us know that paying attention to the little things is what makes a family run smoothly and keeps things from getting out of control—but we do need to balance our attention to details and our appreciation of the overall, big picture. Sometimes it helps to step away or ask ourselves if what we are fussing about this very moment—is really going to be a big deal a year from now? Or ten years from now? What really matters for the well-being and best interest of our children, and what can we let go?
Also: Confessions of a Supermom: the Big Picture
Why It’s Not Bad to Fail First Grade