Step Onto The Frayed Tightrope, Write About Parenting

Being a parent means a horde of things. What and how a parent is “supposed” to be, conjure up different expectations for everyone.

How I parent varies from how I was bought up. My partner’s parenting varies from his sisters and their upbringings, same parents, different perceptions.

How we parent and were parented will have similarities, but will never match perfectly. You may do things like your Mum, borrow techniques from friends or Aunt Josephine, the result is unique.

Bottom line: Your parenting, is your parenting.

Writing about parenting is a strange endeavour, attacking others parenting is even stranger.

I learned long ago not to judge a movie on a minute of viewing. Nor judge a parent on a singular situation, there’s always more to the story.

Spreading hate like peanut butter.

Writing on parenting is a problem,
why?
We all have different perceptions of what and how it’s “supposed” to look, right?
If we go out into the parent writer world thinking we know it all or can do no wrong, that’s a problem.

Recently, I got attacked on one article, this person’s obnoxious negativity and paralysing ego almost scared me off writing on parenting entirely. Originally planning to write a rage fulled rant piece, I sat on the thought for a few days and this is the result…

To reiterate, I was attacked on one article, one singular situation where I choose to reach out and yes complain a little about one of the little difficulties of parenting. I was hurt and stupidly looking for help or a kind ear online.

This one-piece was apparently enough for a stranger to question the love I have for my child. A brief scroll down the person in question’s profile found they were out there liberally spreading hate and negativity.

Instead of letting this scare me off, I’m using it for fuel, using it to tread bravely. I’m going to keep writing on parenting because my parenting is exactly that, my parenting.

Behind Tent Walls

The problem with problems is the more attention you feed them, the stronger they get. Parenting is rewarding and deeply challenging, parenting is so much more than we can see initially.

The tightrope we step onto when writing about parenting is precarious, the world only sees the person we show, not the parent behind the tent walls (to continue with the circus analogy).

When choosing to write on parenting I would advise having a net below and flexible expectations.

Some may sneak behind intending to cut the rope, others might scare you so much you don’t want to walk on. Hopefully many will watch and encourage you quietly, whatever happens, try not to superglue expectations into your words.

Being a Parent can be so isolating.

Having been a stay at home Mum for the majority of my daughter’s life, I’m no stranger to isolation.

Speak purely from my perspective having met many parents on and offline in my daughters’ 9 and 6 years of life I can say it’s hard for everyone sometimes. The reality is all too real especially in a pandemic,

Parenting isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it’s an important job that needs company, needs exposure. I believe everyone has the right to explore through writing, parents included, have the right to reach out and feel less alone.

Negativity is crushing and no one deserves to feel trampled and voiceless, because parenting is isolating enough without being told by a faceless screen stranger that our parenting is crap.

Final Words

I hope this fueled you too.

Please know, as much as it’s a tricky balance to write on parenting, it is worthwhile, at risk of repeating myself for the millionth time each parent does things differently — share how you do things it might help others, so please keep on sharing!

Speak up and out, please don’t let the keyboard warriors scare you like they almost scared me, parenting is isolating enough.

Step onto that darn tightrope, see what happens.
The worst scenario is someone does it differently, see my point?

Thank you for reading, it means more than you know.

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Previously Published on medium

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