If you had an opportunity to strike up a conversation with yourself from 5 years ago, would you? How much detail would you censor? Initially given the choice I think, yes! A million time, YES! Let me talk to my past self, if nothing else than to offer encouragement.... but, wait. Would that alter a crucial decision that I made to get to where I am now? Is it possible that my past self could venture west, instead of continuing due north? If that time travel would turn a life from a simple comedy of errors to an epic Greek tragedy, why is it something that I feel I might consider to put my mind at ease when it comes to my raising my son?
Raising a child has never been a simple task, and each generation has their own obstacles to overcome, yet this is a time that no one could really have seen coming nor prepared their children for. Children are being over-medicated because their natural urges to run and play are labeled as "ADHD". Young girls continuously are told that they can do anything a man can do, yet we're constantly subjecting them to sexually explicit images, revealing clothing, and lack-luster female role models. Boys are being told that being a "boy" is inherently negative and showcasing their testosterone through competition is strictly forbidden. Then, for the first-time parents, the ever changing and increasingly confusing landscape of vaccination safety, milestone checklists, Autism worries, sleep schedules, growth charts, potty training, school choice, organic or non-organic, TV time, YouTube videos....
Parents today are in an increasingly demanding competition of whose kid can do what the fastest and more perfectly than others in their age group. Added to the competition that we have silently, and willingly, allowed to be placed upon one another, is the reality that a one-person income just does not cut it with Millennial households. Now that there isn't a sole "bread-winner" and both parents have to work to make ends meet, childhood is an after thought to most just out of the need for day to day survival.
Learning from the errors of our generation, we can prepare to save our children from future woes. For starters, stop Googling EVERYTHING! This is something I constantly find myself doing and all it does is add stress, anxiety, and fear into daily life that, let's face it, we don't need any more of. If there is something amiss with your child, call your doctor; just because information is online doesn't mean it is true nor that it applies to you or your child. Stop comparing your child to your family and friends. Kids grow, develop, and learn on the time table given to them by God and nature. Be their parent, not their friend; it's tough when they fight you back but you're not experiencing any temper a parent hasn't been through before. Lastly, I want to share a piece of advice I was given by a very supportive family member: enjoy your kids. Seriously, they are only this little once. This time, this very short window of slobbery kisses and sticky hugs, will only be here for a minute. Trust me when I say I know you're sleep deprived and a little more pudgy than you once were, but this time is gold, so enjoy them. Raising a child is a blessing, not a race. Being a parent is a struggle, and when it is tough, just know that their are people aching for the life you have.
Stay strong, parents.
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