Lets talk social media and parenting.
I’m not going to lie I’m a social media junkie (shocker I know).
I use to be an extrovert before I had kids, but my depression and anxiety made me an introvert therefore I find social media amazing because I can still reach out to people and share my life with family living far away but without having to maintain eye contact (anxiety sufferers will get that).
There is one big down fall to social media when you become a parent and that’s that people can post whatever they like. This rangers from political posts, fake news to regular people posting what they ate for lunch. (I’m sure I am guilty of all those things)
Why does this relate to parenting I hear you asking? Well its because everyday parents and celebrity parents can post all these beautiful photos and posts about their families and their golden child Jimmy who just won the school award for the most well mannered student and little Fiona who just helped an old lady cross the road.
Celebrities are not going to show the harder sides to motherhood. They’ll only tell you what a nightmare it is choosing between buying Gucci shoes or the Yeezys for their little cherub (do people even say cherub anymore? I don’t know where that came from but ill run with it)
The point of my rambling is it paints a picture. It leads people to believe that the Jones’s have this perfect life with their perfect non tantrum throwing children but really behind the pictures is a family drowning it debt, two snotty ungrateful kids and an affair Mr Jones is having with his secretary Jane.
If something looks too good to be true it probably is.
A year ago or so I became fed up with this pressure to all play along with this perfect life persona and started posting real life. Real everyday bullshit that comes along with parenthood. The broken tv’s, the tantrums and the tears. Yes I’ve faced my fair share of Karen’s feeling uncomfortable and judgmental but my point of it all is to stop the judgement and stop the pressure of needing to be perfect every second of everyday because its fake, its not real life and its not helpful.
We put this insane expectation on ourselves as parents and when we cant live up to it, it feels like the world is ending. When it comes down to the crunch all your kids care about is that you are there.
Follow good role models on your socials to lift you up and give you what you need. More importantly surround yourself with an amazing group of people that get you and support you.
BB
xxx
Parenting-with a side of depression 