I totally fail as a mom

[BillyJack]

my kids want/hope that I will be some insightful character who will understand their every need/hope/ambition.

Sorry, I'm not that *wise* ~ not at all

[notesdev]

1. When all else fails

compensate with sarcasm

[ejpoeta]

3. oh i like that.

[ejpoeta]

2. No one is. There are some things as a parent you will know... like the eyes in the back of your

head. And certain things your kids like and don't like. But there is no way to be insightful about anyone's every hope/need/ambition. You might have a clue about SOME things, but not all. And why should you have to. That would imply that the world revolves around them. And it doesn't. And it shouldn't. Eventually hopefully they will outgrow the egocentrical aspects that are important for them when they are born for survival. Not everyone outgrows such things.... but most do.

[Possumpoint]

4. What Will Be Remembered

long after you're gone is the love given. Do the best you can and guide them to a good life. Give them a moral system they can use and they will thank you forever.

[baldguy]

5. When they come home from a Young Republicans meeting with "I Love Sarah" t-shirts

Then you'll have failed.

You're wise and have done well if you can steer them clear of stuff like that.

[lunatica]

6. You're obviously following in your mom's footsteps

yet, I bet you understand her now.

[surrealAmerican]

7. You've undoubtedly tried to tell them ...

... that you can't just guess these things, they need to tell you about them.

It wouldn't hurt to tell them that again.

[Brickbat]

8. Fortunately, that's not what they need.

This is the real world, after all.

Not being able to give kids everything they want doesn't mean you're a failure.

[LWolf]

9. I rock as a mom.

It's not because of insight, or because I provided my sons with the ideal upbringing that I would have liked; I didn't.

I rock because I learned in time to love them unconditionally, to teach them what I could, and to celebrate who they are, rather than who I thought they should or would be.

My mom rocks. It's not because of any safety or stability or wisdom she provided for me. She didn't provide much of any of those.

She DID encourage me to care about the world around me, to stand up for the downtrodden in every arena, and to take delight in every small thing.

I am so thankful for her.

I'll bet you rock, too.

[ThomWV]

10. Yeah, I know what you mean. I was a crappy Dad too. But you should see the son my wife raised.

Having a bad day? Don't worry, it'll get better.

Know what I think? I think that any mother who cares enough to actually think about how good a parenting job she is doing is by definition doing just fine. It is far better to constantly wonder if you're doing it right than it is to blithely assume that you're the world's greatest mom as the children roam as unsupervised as cock roaches.