In one of her recent posts on Instagram, Sameera Reddy spoke about a difficult time she went through. "...as a mother after giving birth instead of celebrating the joy of my first child, all I did was silently go day to day just trying to make it through without a breakdown..." She goes on to talk about breaking down and her struggles towards self-acceptance.
This is not just her story. It is the story that every parent has experienced at some time in their life. When everything feels really hard and each day, an uphill battle. There is one thing that can help though—community. The first round of this is your immediate family and close friends. They are irreplaceable. 🧡
There is a second round though: other parents traveling the same paths as you. Some might be slightly ahead on the road and they can share wisdom from their experiences. Some might be going through it with you, and they can offer the comfort of company. And one day, when the tough days pass, you will be on the other side, supporting newer parents on the same path!
If you already have such a helpful, supportive community, that's great. If you haven't found one yet, do join Happy Childhood, our Facebook group of shumee parents. This is a fun, safe, enriching space for parents & caregivers to share our stories, discuss perspectives on parenting & early learning, share new play & activity ideas, and yes, have the occasional parenting rant too. 😉 |
