So I'm watching The Talk right now, and let me tell you, this show is actually really good. I mean, you get to watch these women talk about their mommy experiences, minus all the cat fight and all the tabloid stories about those drama queens on The View. Ew. *shutter* Anyway, Kelly Osbourne was on today, and she was saying the person who inspires her the most, "...as cliche as it sounds...is my mom." And the she proceeded to tell the story of Sharon Osbourne. I couldn't help but be moved by her sincerity. I mean, the young people nowadays, with all the tempations, all the corruptions, and bad influences coming from the media and peers, especially someone growing up in the entertainment industry, to be so down to earth and still think the world of their mothers, is...well, rare. But Kelly Osbourne spoke of her mom as her hero, as someone who she aspires to be. This got me thinking about my own kids. Will I be as good as a mother as Sharon Osbourne? To have our children think the world of me too? I don't want to do it for the recognition, so that my children can tell other people how great of a mother I am (wishful thinking?). I want to do it for my kids, to be the best role model for them that they grow up thinking their mother is their inspiration for everything.
In this day and age, it seems like there are so many criterias to meet in order to become a "good" parent. There is so much pressure out there. You not only have to do the most basic things like feed your children and clothe them, you have to make sure that the food is organic, that the clothes they wear on their backs are washed in allergy-free detergents, that you give them plenty of stimulation to the mind, that you plan playdates with their friends, that you discipline with positivity instead of negative punishment, that they get enough sleep, yada yada yada. I could go on forever. I for one, find it mind boggling trying to figure out what kind of extra curricular activities to put my kids in. They are currently signed up for two, do I do more? But they're only pre-schoolers! Do I sign them up for music? For Chinese? And the pressure of trying to be the perfect parent really becomes exhausting when you're a pregnant mom too.
I think I've come to the conclusion that I know I can't be perfect. I'll do what I can, love my children as much as I can, make sure that they are respectful little people while still being mischievious like any pre-schoolers should be, and leave it at that. I don't have everything figured out yet, but I'm learning as I go. Yesterday doesn't provide the same lesson plan as today does, so I'm taking each lesson in, one day at a time. And maybe by the time my children are all grown, I hope to have learned and taught them enough that they consider me their inspiration one day.
