Scrolling through my Instagram feed I used to always have a pang of jealousy. How do people always have time to do their hair and make up, how come their children are always well-behaved, and how can they always afford to be out and about?
Actually, since this blog is about me being honest, it was always more than a pang of jealousy, it was a huge green eyed envy monster. That was until I looked closer…
I noticed people only post the good, the snap shots of happy moments, no one posts the shit days, the days where you just want to press the reset button.
I witnessed a mum once at the park, her son was screaming for a toy he lost, he was kicking his shoes off and refusing to get in the car, so, as we ALL do, his mother (I assume!) bribed him with a chocolate. I watched in awe as the boy immediately calmed down, ran to a bench and sat down to eat with a big grin on his face. Now, if that was me, I would use those five minutes of peace to get my stuff together, so that once my son had devoured the chocolate, I would essentially have my shit together. But no, this mother was not to be defeated, I watched her as she grabbed her phone and took the opportunity to take a picture of her happy little boy having what seemed to be the best time at the park.
Wow.
Now I would bet money that the picture which will be posted on social media will make everyone believe that the boy had a great day at the park, hey the mother may even say that the fresh air did her and her son the world of good. Maybe it did. I’m not bashing people who do this but… what have we become? We seem to live to please others, to get the likes, to seem we have the perfect life.
Well not me, I literally have no time for that nonsense. I embrace my pictures with my children where you’re lucky if I have brushed my hair and hey on a good day I may even chuck on a bra (don’t you love working from home!). And I will continue to strategically use the free moments in life to cuddle my children or to get my shit together because why do I care if others believe I do or don’t have a perfect life?
I used to be caught up in wanting to have the life that others seem to have. But when I look closer, I can see the cracks. These cracks are not all negative, they are a reality, they show a couple struggling, children having meltdowns, parents saving for months for that one trip to Legoland. We all need to remember social media is not real life.
My family life is my perfection. Yes we have ups and downs and by 8pm I’m exhausted but I wouldn’t have it any other way… not for all the likes in the world.
By Mandeep Rai Kent
Mandeep Rai Canterbury 