Let’s not beat around the bush here, there is a LOT of pressure for us moms (and dad’s for that matter) to be absolutely perfect. I sometimes feel like everything that I do is under a microscope and one mistake and I risk being put into the bad/lazy/incompetent parent box forever more. Ok, maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but it seems as though everywhere that I look there are mom’s competing with each other to be thinner, better and more creative. It must be exhausting!
Being a fan of Pinterest exposes me to these amazing, magical people on a daily basis. The ones that seem to be able to whip up home made toys and clothes for their children during their lunch break and who serve gourmet dinner to their little ones who willingly eat all their vegetables.
I was discussing this with a friend of mine this week and she said that she often thinks that I am one of those magical people. I assure you that I am not. In fact, for every successful project of mine, I have had as many, if not more, complete duds.
My stuffed hippo (minus his eyes, the dog ate those).
There was the time that I decided to make (and possibly sell) home made soft toys. Ha ha, what a joke. I bought the patterns online and a selection of fabric and stuffing and got cracking, I mean how difficult could it be!?! As it turns out, a bit. The patterns were a pain to cut out and pin and sewing the small components together (especially the rounded ones) was fairly tricky. In the end (about a week later) I managed to knock out a hippo that I was fairly proud of. The seams weren’t the neatest and not everything lined up but I did it! Attempt number two was a fluffy lion, as it turns out the fleece fabric is a bit more difficult and after getting completely frustrated my toy sewing days came to an abrupt end. The fabric is still sitting in a box and perhaps one day, once I am over the experience, I will try again.
A couple of pillow cases make for some pretty dresses.
Then there was the time that I thought I would make my children’s clothes for them, all of that fabric is still in the box too after I ended up with a VERY lop sided dress. Although having said that my second attempt was to make a couple of pillow case dresses for my children’s Doc McStuffins birthday party which turned out really well.
A couple of my more successful cakes.
There have been crooked and collapsed shelving units and sewn closed pillow cases. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of my numerous culinary fails.
Like my attempt at making a second birthday cake for my eldest daughter (with a 4 week old baby in hand). Three very flat cakes later and I went to the home industry to buy one, I wish I had done that after the first or even the second attempt. It would have saved a LOT of tears. Or the time I gave myself and my husband food poisoning from a chicken curry. I ended up in the hospital on a drip and he ended up losing 5kgs in 3 days. I could go on.
My children love it when I have baking flops as they get to eat them!
The way I see it is that I could measure myself up against all these other people and make myself so completely depressed that I couldn’t even be bothered. Or, I can see myself how my children do. A little while ago my eldest daughter brought home a mother’s day card where she stated that one of her favourite things was when we did activities and her mom made stuff.
And to me, that is far more important than being perfect and getting it right every single time. So please, don’t compare yourself to other parents you see online. What you see is the put together side that they choose to share. We all have our successes and we all have our failures. The most important thing is that we try and that our children are happy, and really, nobody could ask more of us than that.
My next project is going to be a sock monkey, I have always wanted to try one of those! I will have to let you know how it goes.