It always amuses me when friends and followers praise me on social media.
“You’re killing it, girl!”
“You’re such a good mom, your boys are so lucky!”
“Wow, everything looks perfect! You’re my inspiration.”
To which, I only have one response:
Photo Caption: HA HA HA HA HA HA.
The truth is, I don’t always discuss my #parentingfails, but trust me, there are many. Like the time I sent my boys to a birthday party – a week too late. Or my inability to remember any of the “special coloured shirt days” at school. Or how about the time I slept through, not one, but TWO alarms and had to usher them off to class a half hour late?
Oh yeah, that happened recently. At least I’m consistently imperfect…. #butIvaccinate, so I know I’m doing my best to ensure they are protected from serious illnesses.
Let’s keep it real. As many mistakes I make, particularly when I’m juggling too many balls in the air – metaphorically, of course – I know my boys will forgive me. They know I’m just trying my do my best as their mom, and that means sometimes falling short of perfection. In fact, one of the most beautiful things my 8-year old says to me (more often than I’d like to admit) is: “It’s okay mom, everyone makes mistakes.”
And now I want to cry.
Like any mom, I look back on some of the decisions I’ve made and second guess myself. Hindsight is truly 20/20! I think about what I’d do or say differently; how my choices have impacted their lives, for better or worse. (Mostly better! I take pride in the way I’ve raised my children.) However, there’s one decision I made for both boys that I’ll never regret; I am unwavering in my resolve and am proud of my choice.
I vaccinate.
Above: Dr. Reid. He understands the importance of vaccinations, too.
In fact, I believe the best thing parents can do for their child is to be sure to stick to the vaccination schedule available on ontario.ca/vaccines. The rationale is simple: vaccines prevent serious illnesses – including many that are easily spread in schools and daycare centres. For more than 200 years, vaccines have been saving lives around the world.
(Public Health Ontario’s website has a wealth of information on vaccine safety – I welcome you to check it out.)
If you’re a new parent, visit ontario.ca/vaccines for an easy-to-use immunization scheduler to help you stay on-top of your child’s vaccination appointments with your doctor. Remember, most vaccines need more than one dose over time to produce full protection. That’s why it’s important to follow the immunization schedule and stay up-to-date.
Tonight, we’ll have pizza for dinner because I forgot to defrost the chicken. I’ll probably snap at my 8-year old while he completes his math homework and I’ll definitely scream at my 6-year old when he drags out bedtime. “I’m not tired yet, mommy! It’s more fun to stay awake than sleep!” Ugh. I know it, buddy. But you still have to go to sleep.
However, I’ll know that I’m doing my best, and they’ll be safe and protected from serious illnesses. And that’s good enough for me.
Have a similar story? A #parentingfail – or maybe a lesson you learned? Share your story on social media using #butIvaccinate.
Disclosure: This post was developed in association with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, as part of the #butIvaccinate campaign, however all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. More information about vaccinations can be found at ontario.ca/vaccines.
hahah awesome, I love it, and yes you’re right doing the best you can is all we can do but to vaccinate knowing that they will be safe and protected from serious illnesses is perfect :D one less thing to worry about, glad I do it
Yes,we are all human and forget and make mistakes parenting but we make the wise choice to vaccinate to help keep them healthy.
And I’m making the best decision for my family by not vaccinating. 2 uncles, 1 cousin & myself are all vaccine injured. Any one of us would’ve gladly traded 3 days of measles over the pain we’ve endured. Personally I believe vaccinatons are a gamble that’s not worth it. #thatswhyidontvaccinate
No parent is perfect but it is our job to do the best we can for our family everyday. Everyone has their own reason to either vaccinate or not. My daughter is medically fragile and has serious complex health issues. It is very important that we stay healthy and do our best that her health is not compromised so we vaccinate.
Wow, the very idea that this post is “sponsored” by the Ontario Ministry of Health makes it bogus. What sort of compensation did you receive?
This campaign is parent shaming at its very worst. So… you’re basically implying that parents who question the safety of the current vaccine schedule are “Bad Parents”? Because we are concerned about the lack of studies on the long-term deleterious effects of offering our babies over TRIPLE the number of vaccines (with all of their neuro-toxins) compared to 30 years ago…this makes us evil people? I agree it’s not a simple debate. There are risk factors with both options. But do your research before using your “mommy blog” platform to parent shame others into vaccinating their children without questioning the risks.
Parenting is a hard gig. So rewarding, but sometimes so hard. Taking care of our family’s health is truly #1.
I’m with you, I make many mistakes but I try my hardest to be the best Mom I can and yes, of course I vaccinate!
Parenting is such a hard job. I can barely take care of myself much less kids too! I bow down to all parents who manage to keep their kids alive and happy!
I can’t understand how people don’t vaccinate because I feel with so many things out there you can at least no there safe from those diseases