Use the times you make mistakes and are dealing with day to day struggles to set a good example to your children. Don't be afraid to admit to them you are not perfect. Show them how to be gracious when they make mistakes. Apologize. Say, "Mommy made a mistake. I'm sorry. Will you please forgive me?" And hug your children. It will help them feel better about themselves knowing that even mommies and daddies make mistakes sometimes.
If need be, take steps to change the situation. Read books; talk to other supportive parents. Be sure you know your options. If you feel that you are in a slump and need a boost, consider contacting a parenting support group or taking parenting classes.
Some parents, guessing that they are alone in their struggles or too embarrassed to admit it, hide them and promote the fallacy that there really is the perfect parent and the perfect children. I bet if you are around that perfect mom just a little more, or their perfect children just a little more, you will see for yourself that they are not so perfect. We all have our up and down times. We--both parents and children--are all learning and growing together, and that is how it should be.
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