The Best vs. My Best

I saw this cartoon the other day and it prompted me to write a post that I have been thinking about a lot lately. It seems like I am always trying to remind myself of this. This past fall, Jack started school, Meghan started preschool, and so I figured Annabel and I should enroll in ECFE. It was something I always wanted to do but since I worked, it was never possible until then. Every week we discuss and are instructed on ways to improve our parenting skills. It is always great to hear these things, but it causes me many mixed emotions. If I was able to do ALL of the best parenting tactics ALL of the time, I really could be the best mom. Of course that's what I strive for (we all do). But, then it causes me all sorts of anxiety when I "slip up". What I have to realize is that at every stage of my child's/children's life I will be thrown new parenting challenges. And, even though it feels like I am straying further from the best, I remind myself that no matter what, every day I am trying to do my best. Recently, Jack switched to a different school, and so we are working through several daily/weekly routine changes (you all know how well that goes). Lately, I am doing everything I can just to manage chaos, so I am not able to do all the things I want to with them. Right now, my best feels far from the best...but, it's good enough. The kids are happy, healthy, and they know that they are loved. Yup...good enough...