I remember when we had O, the toddler years approached. I mentally prepared myself for each and every outing. How would he behave? What would people think? Could we sit through a meal, at a restaurant, without him throwing something (and hopefully not hitting another diner with it)? With each child I've become more relaxed, with my parenting and with myself. I call it 3rd child syndrome and in all honesty, it's serving me pretty damn well. NO ONE is perfect, not you, not your children, not your marriage and not your family. If it you say that it is, I call bullshit! There, I said it, and I do not feel bad.
I think we go through life in our relationships and in our parenting, trying to portray that everything is perfect. If our kids act out, what will people think? If we have a bad day, will my peers think that I've lost all control? If I fight with my husband, or people see us bicker, will they think there are problems in our marriage? If my kids are fighting with each other, not listening to me or not behaving in the perceived "unacceptable" way, will people questions my parenting? Who gives a shit what other people think, that's what I say. I am okay that my kids are not perfect, I am okay that I am not perfect and I am okay that my marriage is not perfect. BECAUSE, I know that my kids are loved, I know that I love myself and I know that I love my husband.
I always tell people that going from 2 to 3 kids totally rocked my world. We go through ups and downs, daily. I want to pull my hair out, at least once a day. However, in some twisted, crazy way, having 3 boys has totally calmed me and taught me that perfection is non-existent, craziness is okay, and my life is my life.
