MY oilcloth in and on Parenting.
The March issue of Parenting magazine featured our MY wide tote. The fact that we are parents has obviously oozed into the features of our bags. Our bags are similar to who we are (or try to be) by being multi-functional, tough as nails, and let the bad stuff roll off our backs. However, when it comes to parenting - that is the real parenting, not the magazine - it's not always that easy.
We have come up with a list of five gems (we live for lists) of advice we have collected over the years on how to, well, deal with being a parent.
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Care Less. This a father of five's mantra. It's sort of a don't worry, be happy kind of advice. You know what? Most of the time, most kids will grow up unscathed and ultimately be pretty ok. So does it really matter if Max (Y's son) switches from trumpet to flute next year, even though he's played for trumpet for 3 years. Answer: NO.
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You are a Parent. Your kids have plenty of friends; they don't need you in that mix. This advice comes from Michele's dad, Albert. He raised 8 kids, you know, like the TV show. They used to have a joke in Michele's house, "8 is too much." Albert is so right-on with his advice: Don't forget your role.
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This too shall pass. Okay, we're going real old school here. Everything our kids do is just a phase, both good and bad. So savor the good and ignore the bad. This can get you through a lot of adolescent door slamming.
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Look in the Mirror. Let's face it, they learned that bad behavior somewhere. They don't get everything from the school and TV. How many times have you been "not so in control of your emotions?" Enough said.
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Take care of yourself. Keep your martyrdom gene in check, grab you're
MY Wide Tote and do something fun for yourself. A happy parent is a better parent. We just made that up.
If you have any gems of parenting advice you would like to share with the MY family, please leave a comment on our blog.
Best,
