Half the difficulty of parenting is just being a human with flaws. I have all the education and training to know how I am *supposed* to handle my kid’s behavior... but I have my own feelings, I get frustrated or lose patience, I’m not as consistent as I “should” be

But then your kid screams when you put them in the bath, and screams when you take them out and you just can’t win

And you look at them and think “I know this behavior is developmentally normal but I HATE IT” and wonder if you’re raising a terrible person

And people make jokes about being like a *wine mom lol* but actually we’re all just trying to cope with the existential dread of having to somehow raise these sweet, weird jerks into actual human beings who are productive and considerate of others

And somehow do it after a day of saying, “FINE, you little monster, eat only corn chips and strawberry jelly for dinner and go to bed in your swimsuit, see if I care!”

They go to bed just fine, and you’re lying awake thinking, “shit what if he never eats a vegetable”

So then you pledge the next day that he’s going to eat more nutritious food

And then the next night you’re like “FINE, eat only two slices of apple for dinner and go to bed in your toy box naked, see if I care!”

But at least he ate a fruit today