Parenting Expectations vs. Reality

You have a newborn baby, a completely blank slate. A perfect miniature person waiting for you to mold and shape them in any way you like, into whatever personality and behavioral traits you want. Anything is possible. That's what most parents want to think of their newborn baby. About two hours in (sometimes sooner) parents find out they are entirely wrong.

• 1 min read
• child development
• health & wellness

The reality is that genetics play a significant role in our child’s personality and development. They come pre-loaded, so to speak, with traits such as temperament, intelligence, resiliency, emotional capacity, and much more.

Some of us know within a few hours of the new baby’s birth–uh oh, this kid is exactly like me, and he/she is going to give me a serious run for my money.

And that’s just day one. You’ve got years of reality ahead of you.

Sleep

Eating healthy

Potty-training

Shopping

Eating out

Loving their siblings

Doing their chores

Doing their homework

Learning to drive

The most important thing you can do: be there for your kids. Let go of control and forget everything you read in the books or saw in the movies. Embrace the chaos and love your child for the imperfect human being he or she is, and they will love you for the imperfect parent you are.