Let Go of Perfection

Happy Thursday! You made it!

I am not a perfect parent. I don’t even pretend to be. What I am good at–and deeply committed to–is continual growth. And that only happens when I practice, practice, practice. Luckily, parenting is a 24/7 gig, so I get lots of practice. 

As a parent and a person, this is my ongoing goal: Progress, not perfection.

I say this to myself so often it’s become a parenting mantra. It reminds me that my goal is to continually get better–it’s to grow and to progress. It’s about making slightly smarter mistakes than I made yesterday. 

It also reminds me to let go of the idea of perfection. It’s not a real thing. It doesn’t even exist. 

I’m not saying you shouldn’t work to improve your parenting. I am saying: stop measuring yourself against some kind of ideal that lives on social media but nowhere else. 

Like me, you are going to mess up. A lot. Repeatedly. And still–you are the exact parent your children need, imperfections and all. 

Show up for them. Refine your tools. Do the work, even when you don’t want to or think you can’t. When things go sideways, shake it off and begin again. And again. And again. Every day. Sometimes more than once a day.

Real World Strategy: 

When you find yourself spiraling into self-criticism, pause and remind yourself: Even the tiniest positive changes add up. The goal is progress, not perfection. 

Resource of the Week: 

Want to explore mindfulness with your kids through storytelling? Check out Freeing Freddie the Dreamweaver by Brent Feinberg. It’s a great resource for the whole family. (Use code CARIN10 at checkout to save 10% on all their books and programs.)

Join the Conversation: 

Let’s talk about this stuff–where the interesting, slightly overwhelmed parents hang out:  Bluesky / Instagram/ Tik-Tok

Newsletter Archive: 

Missed a good one? Want to revisit past nuggets of wisdom? Find all past issues here.

Need More Support? 

If you’re stuck in “Perfection Mode” and don’t know how to shift gears, reach out here. Parenting doesn’t have to be this hard.

You’ve got this.

Cari

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