Trying to be perfect...

Have you ever felt like you need to be the perfect mom? (Or dad, sibling, child, etc.) I had been beating myself up a bit because I had left breastmilk out for 10 hours and it got nasty. Seriously nasty! And someone said to me, "If you haven't figured it out yet, you can't be a perfect parent." I sat there thinking, but I'm not trying to be perfect! And then it dawned on me - yep, I was trying! I wanted to be the best mom ever and I never wanted anyone to look at me and think, my what a bad parent!

I guess the realization came to me recently because I had to supplement with formula last night. It made me feel like a failure that I could not breastfeed my child to his satisfaction. Does that really make me a bad person?? Does that make me less of a mom?? Absolutely not!!!!!!!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

The world definitely has its pressures for mom's. But if we don't live up to the world's standards, what does it matter?? If everyone else believes a child should be formula fed and you breastfeed, what does it matter?? Isn't the important part that your child is fed and thriving??

No, I will never be perfect. And neither will you! But perfection as a mom is not based on whether or not we do everything the world wants us to. It's based on loving our child the best way we know how to.

What was the moment you realized you weren't a perfect mom??