I would like to say I was not surprised when they turned out to be model passengers, but I was. They serenely drank their complimentary juices without spilling, watched a movie on the computer together, and fell asleep in sweet, sweaty tangles for the last half of the flight. I underestimated their fortitude, and I count my lucky stars that they continue to be easy-going travelers.
As many trips that we take with our kids, there’s one that never seems to get any easier: The Guilt Trip.
To work or stay-at-home, breast feed or formula, strict discipline or loose, tight reins on food or few rules on snacks, time spent with friends or partners versus time spent with the kids. These are just a few of the innumerable ways we feel parental guilt. Every, every, every choice we make as parents can lead to self-doubt and that moment of lying awake at 3:17 am full of fears that these choices have ruined, or at best, scarred the children for life.
Nobody warns us about this trip. While you can get ready for almost any other adventure you might take with your family, there is no Amazon category for ‘Parental Guilt Trip Gear,’ unless you count the adult beverages section in AmazonNow.
A terrific mom I know has a career she loves and two young kids whom she clearly adores. Recently she was supposed to join a few other moms and me for a get-together during the same time as a drop-off birthday party. This mom texted just before the events, clearly caught in the tricky net of guilt that threatens to ensnare us all daily.