I’m a researcher. Not in the true scientific sense, but more like the slightly-neurotic-over-reliance-on-the-Internet sense.
As a parent, research is my comfort. Once you have a baby and that tiny little life is placed in your arms (or in my case two babies) there is this overwhelming feeling of responsibility. It’s driven by love and a bit of fear – at least for me — and I figured if I just read and researched everything I could get my hands on, it would somehow make me a better parent.
Just bringing our twin boys, Mason and Logan, home from the hospital felt like a feat in itself. But then came the sleepless nights (one whole year without sleeping through the night, mind you) the colic, the diaper rashes, the sleep training (well, at least reading about “sleep training”), the first day of daycare, the food allergies, the “does that look normal to you?” panics, the first steps, the first falls, the first ER trips…you get the picture. And through it all, research was my guide, my friend and my solace.
My boys just celebrated their 5th birthday and we’re getting ready for their next big life transition, kindergarten. I’m beginning to realize that my avenues for advice have expanded way beyond an internet search. Teachers and fellow Johnson & Johnson parents have been a tremendous support, which is great because I have a whole new list of questions about getting ready for kindergarten:
- Public or private school?
- They’re young for their grade level – do we hold them back for another year?
- Should I keep them in the same classroom, or split them up?
- How should we handle their afterschool care?
- What if one child is more advanced than the other?
There are limitless questions and concerns when it comes to getting your kids ready to start school. And, I guarantee you that if you search these questions online, you’ll find hundreds of articles – all with conflicting viewpoints.
So what’s a parent to do?
I haven’t been in this parenting game all that long yet, but the most important thing I’ve learned so far is to trust yourself. The reality is there’s no one right answer that will beget the perfect child or make you the perfect parent, and that’s actually a wonderful and liberating realization.
All I know is, come September, when I look down and see these sweet little faces in their school uniforms, with their backpacks on (likely through the blur of my own tears of pride and anxiety) I can say that I’m doing my best, and, most importantly, that I love them. And isn’t that what being a great parent is really all about?
Read more about the first day of kindergarten from Anna.
Christina Holden is a wife, mom of twins and a manager of communication at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. She has been with Johnson & Johnson since 2006.