I recently posted a meme on Facebook that I found.

"Parenting is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you'd have. It's about understanding your child is exactly the person they are supposed to be. And, if you're lucky, they might be the teacher who turns you into the person youre supposed to be. "

I couldn't love this any more.

We (and by WE I totally include myself) are constantly comparing our children to other children.
Even to their own siblings.
One walked and talked before the other.
One is more social. The other a book worm.

Phones, sports, grades, eating habits, friends
IT IS NEVER ENDING

And then you know what happens?
We question ourselves as parents.
Crap. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.
So and so said to wait til Joey is 12 before he can play football, take the bus, have a phone, stay up until 10pm.

How can we be doing it wrong?
Shit. Did I miss that there's a rule book to this parenting stuff?
Why was it not handed out when we gave birth?

Oh. Because we all parent differently.
Because WE are all different.
Because thank god we are all different because that's kind of what makes the world go around.
Diversity.
Difference of opinions.
Different ways to look at things.

Did I want two kids with food allergies so that I could carry an epi pen around with me and need to wear my reading glasses in the supermarket so I can scan for ingredients on the frozen waffles? (Non organic. Heaven forbid!)
Nope. Wasn't in my game plan but I kinda went with it because, well, because I had to.

So here's the scoop.
We all had dreams of having wonderful perfect babies who would reach every single milestone when they were supposed to and would be perfectly well rounded with friends and good health and we would sip Latte's (or in my case; Diet Coke) while we eased through life.

But we have kids now and know that's not how any of this goes.
We adapt because we have to.
But mainly we adapt because we love these kids that are ours.
And hopefully we love them because they are who THEY are.
Not who we wanted them to be.

What works for one parent will not work for the other (necessarily).
And what works for one child will not work for the other.

So next time you're sitting around reading social media and doubting yourself
DONT.
Just DONT.

You.
Your kid.
You're doing things right.
Because you love your kid.
There is no wrong.

#youareenough (Thanks Sam)