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Fess Up

Confessions of an Imperfect Mom

By Lisa Smartt

hat I have lots of friends. Other moms feel comfortable sharing their struggles and mistakes with me. They feel safe admitting that sometimes they question themselves. They're not afraid to open up and let me see their ugly side. They know that I'm not afraid of the truth. Let's be honest. No one wants to be friends with a perfect mom.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for parenting with consistency, love, discipline, order and instruction. But I'm not depending on my own ability to "nail" those concepts. At the end of the day, I still fall short. That's OK.

How many of us could honestly say the following while lying in bed at night? "Yep! Today I was quite the parent. I modeled patience and self-discipline in every area. I taught my children the value of consuming green leafy vegetables. I enlightened them with both Scripture and Shakespeare. I always affirmed their gifts and in love, graciously corrected their shortcomings. I was never angry. I gave them a sound and hearty lesson on oral hygiene and the lesson was eagerly received. All 64 crayons are sharpened and neatly placed in the original box. I can rest easy now."

Yeah. Me neither. My boys have an imperfect mom. They have a mom who makes mistakes. But I smile at the end of the day when my two little boys are all snuggled in their beds. If they could choose any mom in the world, they'd choose me.

Want to see more?

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• Talk about it!