My Momish Moments

I’ll never forget the moment I realized that being my stepson’s parent wasn’t just about guiding him, loving him, and being the arms he runs to at the end of the night. It’s funny, actually, because the moment itself was so insignificant (I was just sitting in my kitchen, looking out the window and lost in thought), but I had this sudden realization that I was responsible for his well-being, his awareness of himself and the world, and most importantly, the man he would become. It was my job to teach responsibility, self-love, empathy, and the value of hard work (among a million other things).

And that realization, frankly, scared the hell out of me.

Years into this journey, I now know that these lessons unfold in time, unfold gradually, and actually, were far easier than I first imagined sitting in that little beach-side kitchen. Little did I know I would be better at all of these things than I imagined, and that I would feel (sometimes) even settled in my parenting journey, knowing that I was doing a good job.

If any of these words resonate with you (or scare you), here’s what I want you to know: Instilling values in your child(ren) isn’t as hard as you think. As long as you strive to be a positive, present, and involved parent, your child will grow into an amazing human. (So don’t be so hard on yourself).

But, if you’re like me and already hard on yourself most of the time, here are some suggestions I have for how to teach responsibility to your child. Read More