I am not the fun parent.
My husband makes the best "monster," hide-and-seeker, and human jungle gym.
I don’t enjoy imaginary play.
I tend to err on the side of caution, much more of a helicopter mom than human jungle gym.
I am not the crafty parent.
My neighbor creates beautiful art projects with her littles, playing classical music as they work.
My crafting skills leave a lot to be desired. There is no doubt in my mind that my 6-year-old can draw way better than her 34-year-old mother.
I am not the fashionable parent.
Sure, my kids look like they might have stepped out a magazine. But I tend to live the top knot, yoga pants, and T-shirt life. The only reason I knew side parts and skinny jeans were out was because my mom friends told me (but I still wear both).
I am not the soft-spoken parent.
I often look at my calm, soft-spoken friend with her calm, soft-spoken children and have a moment of disbelief. How is this possible?
I am neither quiet nor calm. My default is loud. My kids are loud (not sure where they get it from). Our house is loud.
I would have let this realization destroy me when I was a new mom. But now I know there are a lot of ways to be a great parent.
My way doesn’t look like my husband’s.
It very likely doesn’t look like yours or my friends or my neighbors’.
Our parenting styles are different, but there is certainly no less love.
Because there isn’t one right way to do this.
The path to being a "good mom" looks drastically different for everyone.
You know the type of parent your child needs? You, exactly as you are.
I will never be the fun, crafty, soft spoken, fashionable parent, but that’s OK.
Because I am the mom I was always supposed to be, with the kids that were destined to be mine.
This essay was republished with permission and was written by Tiffany Yoder. You can follow her journey on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog.
