Things that make me a better parent: Part the Second

Pile of bouncing children.

We've had a few days quiet at home lately, and had lots of lovely friends to visit us.  We bounce on the jumpoline, and play in the shell pool.  By we, I mean the kids (mostly).  It's lovely, relaxed, and Lolly goes to bed tired and happy.  Friends are good to have.  They make so much of my parenting seem normal.

It's good to debrief, and confess, between ourselves, to our parenting fails (and parenting wins, which can feel like a confession, too).  And to get advice (or maybe just normalisation) on things that, perhaps, some parents would be shocked and alarmed at.  Like breastfeeding (not just for babies!), co-sleeping arrangements, how to get your kid to do stuff without threatening them, alternatives to traditional schooling, and all the rest of that hippy-arse stuff.

Oh and we always spend a goodly amount of time being angry (and hilarious in our venomous critiques) about the patriarchy.

Good times.

I come away being relived that, just maybe, I'm doing a decent job at this, and that at least I'm not alone.  Oh, and that losing my temper is not the end of the world.  And that my social critique does not go in vain.  I always feel better after getting my rant on.

It's like group parenting therapy, but free.  It's ace.