It’s not a competition

We all are parents.  We all love our kids.  We all think our kids are the best kids ever.  So why do we make everything a competition?  From “my kid is smarter”, to “my kid is more active.”  Instead of building each other up, we tear each other down.

We all have faults and so do our children.  There are ways we can help each other and teach each other if only we could get down from our high tower and admit we need some advice.  I have recently been blessed to find some very amazing women who have taught me so much. Women who are real about their lives.  Women who don’t put on airs on Facebook about how fantastic their lives are.

I have been guilty of putting on a “show” for Facebook.  We all want to present our best and that is not always easy.  So we post the happy, and sit in despair, thinking we are alone with our imperfect lives.  

Maybe if we spent more time talking in person we would learn that sharing our lives with the real people, not the social media persona, is how to make real connections.  It’s how to make long term friendships.  Not to discount the connections I have made via social media, but there is something about being able to sit face to face for a discussion, or get a real hug when you need it.

I believe the age of social media has made parenthood a competition: who can post the nicest dinner, have the most friends, be in the most groups, and who can brag the most about every little accomplishment without really ever making any personal connections. In the end we feel isolated.  So put down the phone, walk away from the computer and tablet.  Go to the park and play with your kids.  Meet some people for coffee. Take time to enjoy the real life outside the internet.

 

Have a great day,

Heather