Loved

I've been thinking about how parenting becomes more complicated as your children get older. When they are little your main job is to provide for their basic needs and that is mostly it. As they get into toddler years you have to start teaching them about right/wrong and training them to become more independent. In the school years you have to start teaching them about more complicated things like social skills, how the world works and most importantly how to have a relationship with God. Add to that, literacy, maths, other school work and any clubs/skills they want to pursue.

I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by all the new roles I have to now fulfil (and the different ways I can feel like I'm failing; e.g. we haven't been out on the bikes in ages and Chloe is nowhere near riding without stabilisers). I know I can be a perfectionist and feel a lot of pressure to 'get parenting done right'. Although there  are more things to think about now, I have definitely struggled with this from the start (comparing newborn sleeping patterns, choosing baby-led weaning or spoon-fed, having a toddler that doesn't destroy other people's houses) and I know that I can worry too much.

Chloe is poorly at the moment and it has allowed us all to have a bit of a 'slow down'. We've had to cancel swimming lessons and play dates; school has finished for Christmas so we don't have homework, spellings and reading to worry about. When all my little girl is looking for is a cuddle on the sofa, it helps me to remember that my greatest role is make her feel loved, by her family and by God. I would rather she know that than be the most perfectly behaved, high flier that she could be.