I Want My Child To Like Me Best

   If you've ever had to share your kid with an ex you can completely understand wanting your kid to like you more. You aren't hoping they'll hate their other parent, but you just want to be their favorite. You want to be the parent they want to go to when they're scared, hurt, or sad. You want to be the one they run to when they have exciting news. You want to be their hardest goodbye and their greatest hello. 

   

The hard part is if you're the parent who acts like a real parent, the one who makes them do schoolwork, clean their room, do chores, say things correctly, act properly, etc. you typically won't be the favorite parent, at least not while the child is young. No, you'll have to wait and watch as they mature and as they one day become a parent themselves; then all of a sudden they'll understand what you were doing for them. Then they will appreciate you. 

   Most kids want to live with the "fun" parent. Who wants to live with someone who has rules? That's the scary part. I won't change the way I parent to make my child want to live with me. I won't be less of a parent and make them less of a person for the title of my house being "home" I will make my child do their schoolwork, I will make them clean their room, they will have chores, they will be respectful, they will be helpful, they will be kind, they will be spanked; because I'm raising someone who will one day be an adult and I don't want my child turning out like the trainwreck adults I see around me now. We don't need more "Karens," "Daves", or "Kyles." 

   Sometimes I find myself looking at something my son would love and I think man I should buy that for him and just give it to him for no reason, but then I feel like I'm trying to "buy his love" and you can't buy love. I don't want to "cheat" to be the favorite. I want to be the one he likes most because of who I am and the relationship we have not because I buy him things and let him do whatever he wants. I am Mommy first and friend second. I will be here for the good, the bad, and the ugly because he is my child no matter what.  But boy oh boy do I wish I could be and know that I was his favorite!

             Happy parenting! "May the odds be ever in your favor"