Parent Wellbeing
An important part of being a parent is looking after yourself too.
READ MEHomes Aren't Always Perfect
When taking care of kids and managing family life, it’s helpful to let go of expectations and embrace imperfection.
Creating the perfect home for your children can prove near impossible!
We often heavily scrutinise our abilities as parents, asking ourselves “What if?” and thinking “If only I had…”
It’s important to recognise that expecting ourselves to be ‘perfect’ can actually be more detrimental to our children than we realise.
By placing more pressure upon ourselves, we also place more pressure on those around us and in turn, expect more from our children. This increases their levels of stress and other factors that may impact upon them negatively.
It’s normal for families to experience ups and downs
It’s important to recognise that things will never be perfect.
We can’t predict the future, and many things happen throughout the day that we just cannot control or don’t see coming.
Rather than striving for perfection and feeling defeated when our expectations aren’t met, we can work towards adopting a more practical view of perfection.
This will allow us to put more time and energy into our children and family rather than focusing on meeting unrealistic expectations.
Developing a practical sense of perfection
Readjusting your expectations to be more in line with what’s realistic and achievable will help you embrace the imperfections a little more.
We’ve developed a list below to help you manage your expectations.
Embrace imperfection. This doesn’t mean you ‘stop trying’ or just ‘let things slide.’ It’s about being kind to yourself and embracing setbacks in order to move away from the rigid boundaries we once set for ourselves and our families.
Make time for the things that matter. This means reflecting inward, focusing on living up to your values and strengthening those connections you have within your family by setting aside time to do things together that you love.
Learn from your mistakes. Have you heard that failure is actually a prerequisite for success? The more mistakes you make, the more you are able to pick yourself up, learn from them and grow as an individual.
Reach out when you feel like you need it. We know children do better when their parents feel supported. Talking to a loved one or giving Parentline a call can really help.
“Parents are the heart of our homes, and it’s up to us to keep the blood pumping to all parts of it.”
– Kim, Parentline Manager
Every family has its challenges and its strengths
If you’re struggling with home and family imperfections, there is support available.
Our trained counsellors are here to help. Give us a call on 1300 30 1300 (QLD & NT).
Not in QLD or NT? Check out our list of Parentline counselling services in your state or territory.
This content was last reviewed 10/06/2020
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