The other night I was laying in bed and thinking. It is actually the time of the day I like the most because I can be alone in my own thoughts for a few minutes before I drift off to sleep. Something either we were talking about or something on television before we turned it off got me thinking about unrealistic goals we all set for ourselves.
We are all guilty of creating and attempting to reach goals that may not be obtainable and as mothers we do these all the time. We set unrealistic goals on ourselves and on our children. We have such lofty expectations that we as moms often run our selves ragged in trying to achieve them.
We can't fault ourselves for it because it is our nature and upbringing that has created this need to achieve. I know with me it all started off as a kid when I needed to do well in school and than it snow balls. You get down on yourself when you don't do as well as you would have liked and than you try harder next time. We have all heard and even said it to others because we have seen how a few words of encouragement helps to push sometimes in meeting that goal.
Goals are great things and I think it is wonderful to have them but I myself have learned that I need to rope them in for my own sanity and well being. I realized if I put to much pressure on the kids that I may burn them out in the long run. I try to make achievable goals rather than making ones that are far reaching though I still have a goal plan that I win the lottery (I know deep down that it is likely not going to happen but it is still fun to imagine it).
I see so many parents that put so much on their kids and push them into goals that they might not be right for them now. I see the frustration when the kids don't achieve it. I realized that teaching my kids about failure is an okay thing. We can't be good at everything but when we set a realistic goal in something we might not be that good at, we can usually obtain it.
Though it is still hard as a mom not to make goals for both myself and the kids that are unrealistic. I wish the world for my kids but I also know they might not be able to handle it. I hope for their sake that we give them as parents a sense of being realistic and seeing what they can achieve using the best skill set them have for the job!
Rebecca Benson is a League City stay at home mom who has lived here since 2003 when her husband took a job on the International Space Station program. She followed soon after working on the same program for nearly six years when she started staying home with the kids. Rebecca loves to craft, scrapbook, sew, and embrace motherhood. Rebecca has a blog called Mommiedom ((http://queenmommiedom.blogspot.com/) where she talks about all the things in her life not just those “confessions”.
