Not a perfect parent!

Being at the tail end of a big family has it's advantages and disadvantages. The hand-me-downs were awful and plentiful, I had the feeling I didn't have a voice, and I had to wait an extra day to see Star Wars in 1977. My parents took my older siblings and left me home. No one took me seriously!!!! I did get to watch Star Wars, and sure I had my advantages too i.e. my very own room as a teen and yes the orange juice. We were allowed more orange juice. 

I remember one year my sister was home visiting. She was married by then and with hand on her hips and disappointment she said, "Mom, why does she get orange juice and I didn't?" I remember hearing this so many times and thinking, really you're going to be jealous about orange juice?! It wasn't just the orange juice but many other things that I heard from different siblings. I could be upset about it; I did try to argue with some of my siblings with no success. I finally just decided we had different advantages and disadvantages and that I wasn't going to listen. I was determined as a mother not to let my kids do this...Pffff, of course, I will never make the same mistakes my Mom made. 

Well, no surprises here. I have a twenty-one-year-old daughter, a student, grown up, independent and not living with us. The first time I heard a little comment from here about, how come or just the remark,  "Great. You waited for me to leave to go on that trip?" I thought oh no!!! So yes, I have criticized my Mom, vowed to do better and found myself in the same boat. Parenting is hard, we do our best but don't fret, you won't and can't be perfect, and none of us are. Happy New Year!

—Allison Ochs Social Worker M.S.W. , Coach, Expat, Mother of three, Wife