Barto's Basics

This won’t be an eloquent post…. but I’m going to say it.…

We live in a very diverse world and parenting this generation of kids is really different and difficult.

There are cultural, social, technological and other hurdles that haven’t existed before that would have otherwise allowed us to lean on our parents/grandparents for direction. So much of what we are navigating as parents right now is NEW.

How the world has changed in the last 60 years is just bonkers!

The pace in which we are expected to digest change is unreasonable.

I have to stop and remind myself a lot that there are questions I don’t have answers to and questions I just don’t want to answer.

Or things I don’t want my kids exposed to [yet].

And then I have to sell myself that it’s OK.

Why? Because I’m still navigating my thoughts, fears or position on certain things and I don’t know what the right thing is to say… so sometimes avoiding it IS the right choice.

As a parent it’s scary to talk out loud about your own thoughts for fear of wondering what your kids might take away from your brainstorming process…. (Or is that just my fear?) Or is modeling how to wrestle with your thoughts more important? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Some days I feel like we are drinking from a firehose that never shuts off and we just have to hope we survive it.

Parenting often feels like real life Whack-a-mole and you just never know what’s going to come at you.

And then there is the intentional cycle breaking and the mental gymnastics that requires along with the sheer will power to make/be the change day after day.

I’m not complaining.
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It’s just hard, OK?

The parents I know are tired. Overwhelmed.

The parents I know are trying their best.

The parents I know love their kids fiercely.

So here is my ask- Be a safe place for a parent…

To wrestle with their questions.

To vent.

To be frustrated with the things their kids are exposed to.

To work through their own feelings on things.

To seek counsel and advice.

To grieve the reality their kids are growing up in a world they didn’t envision.

We need you.

It’s takes a village to raise a parent.

And it takes grace, mercy, prayer and faith that the God of the Universe will intercede, meet us in the mess and heal the broken parts of us.

Lean into that.

✌🏻💜🙏🏻