General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I Look Down on Young Women With Husbands and Kids and I'm Not Sorry [View all]Amaril
(1,267 posts)......when it comes to raising kids. Every single kid is different -- what works with one will completely fail with another.
Some friends of mine (new'ish parents -- their daughter just turned one) cracked me up with postings they made to their Facebook pages on her first birthday -- it wasn't the typical chatter about how blessed they felt to have their beautiful little girl in their lives or how much they love her (which, trust me, they do -- they are amazing parents) -- they were, basically, high-fiving each other over the fact that they had managed to keep another human being alive for a WHOLE year. It just reminded me that when it comes to raising children, everyone is flying by the seat of their pants, and trying to figure out the best way to handle things, day-to-day -- sometimes moment-to-moment.
My own children are grown (probably not much younger than you), and I'm still flying by the seat of my pants. There is always some new hurdle to cross or upset to recover from, and while my role has changed from one of active involvement to more of a consultant, I'm still hard-pressed at times to know "what" to do / say. Like the old cliche says, life doesn't come with instructions.
Hang in there. You're doing a great a job -- maybe not a perfect job, but, trust me, NObody is doing it perfectly. NOBODY.