Parenting—the process of raising children—can bring endless joy, responsibility, and learning opportunities. All the clichés are true—it is the hardest job you’ll ever love—and yet none of them describes your unique experience or challenges as a parent. The challenge to be a “good” parent is a constant struggle between personal desires, community expectations, traditional gender roles, resource management, and the unique personalities of each member of the family. Everyone has an opinion on how to best raise a physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually healthy child, but the truth is there is no one right answer: it’s a lifelong process that we take on, one day at a time.
The miracle is that your children will love you with all your imperfections if you can do the same for them.
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As many conventionally unhappy parents did in the 1950s, my parents stayed together for the sake of the children—they divorced after my youngest brother left home for college.
