20 Signs that you are a damn good parent …

As ‘pre-parents’ we have such grand visions. We know the type of mother we’ll be. A perfect one of course. It’s not until we actually become a parent that the shine comes off our carefully laid plans. We discover perfect parenting is a cruel trick of the media. And in reality, good parenting that produces happy, balanced children, is enough.

Many single mothers continually question their child-related choices. The food we prepare. Our level of discipline. Our style of communication. Hell, I wasted 10 minutes yesterday feeling guilty for letting my kids stay up late on a school night (MasterChef was on, sorry).

So if you feel you’re screwing-up your child-raising role, think again. It’s the little things that make good parents.  Read our list of what makes a good parent and you might realise you rank pretty high on the super-mummy scoreboard.

20 Signs that you are a damn good parent

(As the very fact you worry about it means you already are one)

1. You don’t compare yourself to other parents, but do what feels right for you and your child

2. You’ve watched a million shows/dance routines/magic acts and just keep smiling

3. You listen to your child, just listen, without doing anything else

4. You are immune to their bodily excretions, however vile they may seem to others

5. You laugh, smile and enjoy life with them, not sitting on the sidelines watching

6. Even when you have heaps to do, you will stop everything and help them do a handstand

7. You get them out the door in the morning, dressed, fed and (reasonably) clean – awesome job!

8. You teach them good values in a way they will remember and pass on to their kids

9. You discover a fiercely protective side to your personality that you never knew you had

10. However bizarrely they choose to dress, you walk proudly down the street with them

11. You’ve watched Finding Nemo 2,468 times and still shout ‘yay’ when it starts again

12. You play their music on every car journey, however much it drives you round the bend

13. You feel their highs and lows as if they are your own (only multiplied tenfold)

14. You have an uncontainable urge to cry when you see them in their school play

15. You’re more nervous than you’ve ever been, before their part in above-mentioned school play

16. Sometimes when you cuddle them you can’t let go (or get told off for squeezing too hard)

17. You are sometimes a bad-mama because you don’t always let them have their way

17. You can tell at a glance if they are tired, wired, happy, sad or anything in-between

18. You’d give them your last chocolate (however much you were looking forward to it)

19. You aim high and achieve the life you aspire to, knowing your children will mimic you

20. You don’t pretend to be a superwomen, instead you’re just Mum, which is enough