Don’t do what everyone else does. Instead, parent by instinct and the reaction of your children. We’re more traditional, so for us, rules are standard. But we see the importance of parenting children differently. There are different ways to handle situations for a social child versus a nonsocial child. Whatever you do needs to fit the child, and you adapt that over time.” –Melanie Frady, mom of an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son
Photography by (bottom right) Angie Hammond.
“It’s important to remember that all moms have their own individual struggles and are trying to do their best. Be confident in yourself, have faith in your decisions, and trust your gut. You don’t have to be perfect to be an amazing mom, you just have to love your family.” –Teri Xerogeanes, mom of a 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son
“I would go on playdates, and I just didn’t connect. I would come home defeated every time. I would look at people who were doing things like making homemade bread every day, and it felt like such a competition. I cut out mom groups and playdates. As a mom, I had to stop comparing myself to everybody else. It’s still hard to this day. But I read a lot of self-help books to help me find my inner strength. I have to look at what makes me and my family strong.” –Melanie Frady
Avoid the Comparison Trap It’s very easy to fall into the trap of comparing everything you do as a parent to someone else, thanks in large part to the presence of social media in our lives. Yet, those comparisons can be inaccurate and also detrimental to your psyche. “Everything online is curated. And there are useful and not-so-useful components to comparing ourselves. If the way someone is doing something lines up with your values [and you want to do it too], then that can be viewed as ‘useful peer pressure.’ But the other side of it just feeds into the sense that we’re not doing something right.” –Dana Goldman, LPC, NCC, of Stone Cottage Counseling, mom of a 3-year-old daughter bestselfatlanta.com
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Teri Xerogeanes with her husband and children.
BEST SELF ATLANTA
APRIL / MAY 2018
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3/20/18 7:46 PM