No one ever tells you how to be a parent, because it's different for every person, with every child. I know I'm criticized for how I approach parenting, but I'll tell you, I think I'm a damn good mother.
I don't win every battle, but I do win the important ones. I am strict when I need to be, I am softie when I want to be. I have made decisions for my daughter that are different than those around me, and maybe even "controversial", but in the end it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
At the end of the day, I know I'm a good mom. And how do I know this? When I walk in the room after not seeing my daughter for the day, she comes out running, screaming "mom!" and gives me a huge hug, as if I've been gone for days.
There is no better reward, no better validation than that.
