Good Enough is Good Enough

Tonight, my three-year-old daughter ate one tiny nibble of a green bean, a slice of cheese, and three grapes for dinner.

Good enough.

This was after her epic meltdown because Mommy couldn’t find her My Little Pony cup with the pink top. So I gave her the one with a blue top and basically told her to deal with it.

Good enough.

Yesterday, the baby didn’t nap, so by 4:45, he was a hysterical, inconsolable mess. My solution: put him to bed at 4:57 pm.

Good enough.

Because he went to bed at 4:57 pm, he was, of course, awake at 2:43 am. I stumbled in his bedroom, tossed him a bottle, and went back to bed.

Good enough.

My daughter watches a lot more TV and eats way fewer vegetables than any pediatrician or sanctimommy would approve of. But she loves fruit and books, and as an added bonus, has adopted some adorable British phrases thanks to her Peppa Pig binges.

Good enough.

The baby is 9 months old and has no schedule due to his two older siblings having schedules. He mostly naps in his car seat and has learned to feed himself. {You call it Baby Led Weaning, I call it No Time to Spoon Feed.) But he’s curious and observant, and he is learning so much just by watching and exploring.

Good enough.

I entered into motherhood with expectations of excellence, for myself and my children. And we do have our excellent moments. There are days I cook healthy meals that my family actually eats.  I often plan and execute outings that are fun and meltdown-free. Our bedtime routines are disciplined and consistent. But despite my parenting strengths and successes, there’s just no way around it: at times, this stage of parenting is crazy and chaotic. I’m finding the more I try to plan for and execute perfection, the faster our day falls apart. This is usually due to my disappointment at those expectations not being met.

Mothering is a job that comes with a contract of at least 18 years. There are very few days off, and the stakes are high. It’s intense, day in and day out. I just have to let some things go, and I find that so many “great” moments come at a price of something some may consider less than great. When I let my daughter watch one or two extra shows during the witching hour, it gives me time to sit and recharge. Then I can be a more patient mom at bedtime, and we can really snuggle and often have really sweet conversations.  When I toss the baby that bottle with a kiss and a “See ya in the morning,” I’m giving him a more rested, happy mommy to wake up to.

Let’s all give ourselves a break and some grace. We are all great moms, but none of us can be great every moment of every day.

Good enough is good enough.