Jeni Bukolt, a mom from North Carolina, tried to make an honest first-day-of-school sign and is bound to disrupt the perfect parent stereotype.
The sign states that the mother is 42 years tired, referring to her age and how tiring being a mother is. She also included that she likes sleeping and might miss a school theme day and told people using the do-it-yourself (DIY) school sign that she will buy supplies instead of doing or being asked to volunteer.
The North Carolinian mother, who owns the communication and marketing company called Haven Creative Agency, posted an Instagram photo of herself holding the sign and captioned it with:
"Happy 'Back to School season to all the parents. May we not forget a 'theme' day or accidentally send our kids to the bus stop on the teacher's work days, or forget to pick them up on the randomly scheduled half days. May we have patience and give each other grace for doing our best!" per Today.
A humorous way to remind parents to have a mental break
Bukolt posted the photo on Monday as she bid farewell to her sons, ages eight and 12, on their first day of school. The CEO of Haven Creative said she makes signs for kids every year but recently thought about the times when she felt behind, as though she was failing in some ways.
She noted she is just an ordinary mother but a busy one, and it came to the point where she overlooked a fair share of school events or school holidays. She admitted there are times when her kids will arrive and tell her, "It was Dr. Seuss Day," and that's when she will realized she accidentally sent her kid to the bus stop on a teacher training day.
What inspired the mom the most was herself. She identifies herself as a busy mom, and just like any other mother, she will fail, commit a mistake, get mad, discipline her kids in her own way, serve food to her kids, and do a lot of things that mothers usually do. But at the end of the day, she will always be a satisfied mom as she has done everything for her family, especially her kids.
Bukolt hopes the sign would serve as a reminder for parents to give at least themselves a mental break as they deserve it and establish what she calls an "empathy bridge."
Parents put too much pressure on themselves to achieve the standards they see on social media, but realistically, no one has a perfect life, and parents do not judge each other, Cafe Mom reported.
Almost all parents can relate to the mother
Many parents have commented on the said photo to show how they can relate to the mother as they are also parents. Few comments wish that many parents survive the drop-off/pick-up lane, and others commented laughing and clapping emojis, which clearly shows that they supported Jeni's DIY sign and her message to other parents.
Bukolt told Good Morning America that upon seeing the positive and funny comments, she realized that she's not the only parent that struggles to be the best.
Related Article : Parental Burnout: Many Parents Experience Overwhelming Exhaustion
