Musings on Parenting

What is the toughest part about parenting?

Parenting is a roller coaster ride. And it is not always going to be a shiny! 

What does it mean to be parents? Does parenting mean raising and disciplining the child? But it is not only that! 

As the child grows, an endless series of struggles start to happen. Getting the child to sleep, brushing his teeth, making him ready for school, getting him to eat his meal, and getting his homework done, all these struggles take all the joy out of parenting. And we don’t see the bigger picture. Our life and thoughts get stuck around the daily responsibilities and chores! But there are lot more things we can do!

Parenting can be difficult, overwhelming, stressful, and tiring at some point. There will always be some uncertainty! Uncertainty of choices, likes, and dislikes. One day the child may like tomato soup, and when you offer it next time, he may dislike it! 

We forget that he is another human being, full of emotions and his brain. The child has his own choices, points of view, interests, and thought processes. And at some point, our ideas of what our child should do won’t align with what our child wants! Parenting and uncertainty go parallel. And that is where the real struggle starts.

Yet, we can always try to reduce this struggle by staying calm and connected even when the child pushes all the buttons without losing our state of equilibrium. Of course, this needs a lot of practice and mindfulness. If we learn to regulate our emotions, we can help the child too! Once we start to enjoy the process we will be able to see the bigger picture! And then parenting will be joyful!

I have evolved myself over time, and now we face less struggle. Still, there are days; when I have lost my state of equilibrium, but in the end, I have learned how to regain it! So there will be good and bad days, but how we come back to a calmer state makes our journey smoother than ever!

Despite all these things, there is also the best part of parenting. You can read the post here.

Do let me know, in the comment box, what you feel is the hardest part of parenting for you.

Happy Parenting!

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Comments

2 responses to “What is the toughest part about parenting?”

  1. Mayuri Kanakhara Avatar
    Mayuri Kanakhara

    I guess the toughest part of parenting is to let go as the child grows older. Cos as he/she grows older they start to observe things, perceive situations make choices by themselves. They get influenced by a lot of things around them , be it in school at home or even at some place elsewhere. Then at times we see a lot of things that might not be to our liking but we find ourselves helpless cos now we have to let go and let them decide as to what is right or wrong. We may be dead sure that whatever is happening is not right but then we have to take a step back and let them experience the outcome of their decisions be it making friends or studies or even behavioral patterns. As they grow older they want to be more “independent” and they no longer want to listen to our advice but will want to discuss it out with their friends and trust me that hurts the most but the key is to
    LET GO.

    Reply
    1. krupajnanda Avatar
      krupajnanda

      I agree!

      As the kids grow they will observe/follow to the peer groups most. Our job is to guide them in the right direction. If they understand it then it is good but if not then we certainly have to step back for a while.

      We can not control everything but we can continue to work on what can control.

      Listening to them and staying connected with them will help them in many ways. May be we can not see it during the tough moments but later we can witness the fruits of what seed we saw! 😊

      Happy Parenting!

      Reply

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