Over at SeattlePi.com, there is an incite full quote from a Mom dealing with her 5 month old who just won’t sleep:

You know, this parenting thing is kind of like taking swimming lessons. Did you ever take swimming lessons? They teach you how to kick your legs, and you think, Hey, I can do this! But then they add in the arms. And the breathing. And you sink. Because you’re focused so much on the new stuff that you forget to kick. OK, so I need to go back to kicking.

This mom sees what all parents figure out…parenting is hard, so you keep on kicking because you have to. You have no choice. Sure, just like swimming you can give up and then you will probably drown. In this sense, if you drown as a parent, you can walk away from your family either physically or mentally. But most parents don’t do this. They want to keep kicking. Sometimes, they just don’t know how. So, you persevere, on your own, through the help of friends, family, books, anything that has the answers. You eventually find the answers and begin to swim as a parent.

There are times, when you will be challenged again, and you will need to learn new techniques. The learning cycle begins again. And this is why Better Parenting University exists. We know that the issues parents face are never easy, but there is always a solution.

At Better Parenting University, we are committed to providing parents with the latest, most practical information from leading parenting experts, so you can swim on your own as a parent. And when you need us…we are your lifeguard.

I promise to lay off the metaphors next time. This quote just set me on a roll!