Perfect Days Rarely Happen

You have got a birthday or other celebration that is coming up. You have spent several weeks planning the day along with activities, who will be there, and what you are going to eat. You know exactly how the day is going to go, when you are going to do things, and how everything will play out. You are very excited for the day to come - everyone is going to love it. It is going to be a perfect day that you have planned.

This day never happens though. Instead of the day you imagined, nothing goes as you planned. Your child doesn’t sleep very well the night before, they’re a complete terror the day of the activity. Half of the expected guests don’t show up because they either forgot or had other plans, and you’re so busy dealing with your child that the food simply doesn’t turn out like you had imagined it would.

Perfect days simply rarely happen, especially when you have a child. Kids are so unpredictable as are other people. You need to realize that those perfect days aren’t going to happen like you imagine them. You need to learn to accept that things will change and that you’ll simply need to go with the flow sometimes. Just because things don’t go as planned, that doesn’t mean that your planning was a failure.

You should still plan for your parties and activities - make sure that you know a basic idea of what’s going to happen at the very least. Plan out activities and food and any other details that you need to. However, you also need to plan that those things will not turn out exactly as you’re imagining them. You need to be as flexible as possible - it will make your life and everyone else’s more enjoyable.

In order to make these activities the best possible, be flexible. Other people won’t be upset if things don’t go exactly as you planned or imagined. However, if you’re in a bad mood because of it, then it can ruin the activity for others. Instead of sulking or acting like things are terrible, enjoy the moment that you’re in. You’re celebrating and enjoying the day with the ones that you love - that’s what matters.

If you struggle with this (I definitely do), then you need to work on methods that help you to calm down in the moment. Perhaps you need to step into another room and take some deep breaths, or step outside. Maybe for you, going outside for a quick walk around the block can help calm your nerves. Find something that you can do that will help you to destress and not worry so much about things not going as you imagined.

Spending a day and celebrating with your family is what’s really important. Keep in mind what it is you're celebrating and who you are with, not what isn’t going right, or why things are so bad. When you look back on the event, you can consider how you may have planned differently, but also try to find what went well and what you enjoyed. Realize that oftentimes the best memories come when things don’t go as you planned.

Life is short with your child - enjoy every moment you can. Perfect days rarely happen with your child, and when they do they’re almost always unplanned. Imagine a perfect day, and then live the imperfect day happily.