Where I come from, when someone does something extra COOL, FUNKY, or with that added UPMH, we turned up our lip because they put “STANK” on it! So pretty much it’s a compliment. What I love to see is when parents, especially MOMS, are doing their thang, regardless of what people think of them. Parents who are raising, teaching, protecting and most of all doing what’s BEST for their kids without giving any thought to the crowds opinion. Who’s the crowd? Strangers, friends, family, co-workers and even your kids!
Here are 5 tips to help you put some STANK on your parenting!
1. DO YOU:
Cheers to those friendly mom conversations at the park that turn into comparisons, that slip into being judgmental and finally morphs into an advice session that you didn’t ask for! What works in MY house might not work in yours. So DO YOU! And when you get backed into that type of conversation make it clear, “Oh! I wasn’t asking for advice (insert your brightest smile).” STANK
2. DON’T HATE
Don’t hate on you. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Adding the stank gets tough when your decision makes your kids sad. I had to take my girls out of what I thought was the perfect Pre-K situation because the teacher had her teenage son home with them. Prior to me agreeing to enroll them she only told me that her 5-year-old would be there. This crossed one of the standard boundaries we have, and I wouldn’t have even enrolled them if she had given me this info up front. She was great, but we weren’t OK with that one thing. So my kids went from being with me 24/7, to being with friends twice a week in a learning environment, then back to being with mommy. It hurt me to make that decision only because I knew they’d miss it. BUT, the hubby and I had to do what we felt was right. And I felt it for real! STANK.
(Don’t worry. I’ve found PLENTY of ways to supplement socialization for them by creating more chances for them to have fun with friends. Mom teaches them at home and they’re BRILLIANT … SUPER STANK!)
