For the past week my toddler has asked me for M&Ms at least five times a day. At least once a day that request ends in tears.
I send him to school with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich about 90% of the time. Those perfectly styled lunchboxes you see on social media—homemade sushi, gluten-free, sugar-free cookies, and exotic fruit—don’t happen in my house. I haven’t figured out how any parent manages that and still accomplishes everything else a day demands.
We have dinner together as a family maybe twice a month. That’s also about how often I manage to shower these days.
I let my toddler watch TV while he eats breakfast. Most mornings he eats on the couch. How else am I supposed to care for a two-month-old and get everyone ready? On most mornings I don’t even wash my face, and half the time I drop Teddy off at school still in pajamas. I’m grateful his school runs a car line so no one sees me in my decade-old pajamas.
I have eaten chocolate every single day since my daughter was born—never while Teddy is awake because I don’t want to share.
We get takeout for dinner about once to three times a week right now. Teddy typically eats earlier, whatever I can pull together in five minutes or less.
Sometimes I give in to his demands because I don’t have the energy to manage a meltdown. This week he insisted on sprinkles on his toast and rejected the buttered toast I’d already made, so I made a new slice and told him the sprinkles were to celebrate his Aunt Lauren’s birthday—whatever helps make the moment easier.
I’m sharing all of this because feeding your family and caring for them is hard for everyone. Some seasons require doing what it takes to get by.
Yes, I’m a dietitian and I care deeply about nutrition, but I’m far from perfect. I post fun food ideas on Instagram, but most days I’ll toss a cup of Cheerios at Teddy while holding the baby and cleaning up the kitchen from the night before—or two nights before.
You can’t be perfect, and I can’t be perfect. I’m doing the best I can, and I know you are too. Our kids don’t need perfection. Nothing magical will happen if I miss one perfect meal here or there, as long as I’m making healthy choices most of the time.
At times like these I’m grateful for other moms on social media who keep it real. They share beautiful recipes but also the less polished parts of parenting—late nights, real-life messes, and honest moments. Seeing that helps me feel less alone.
I’m writing this on my phone while lying in bed with my baby girl. When I look at her face I’m reminded of what truly matters: loving my kids with everything I have and showing that love every day. To all the parents in a challenging season right now—you can do this. Not perfectly, not even close, but that’s not what matters. <3