When things are hard, it’s so easy to look around and assume others have it easier. It might seem as if their homes are calmer, their work is more rewarding, or their relationships more loving. But the truth is, no one is handed a perfect set of cards. We're all just doing the best we can with what we’re holding. And when you’re parenting through exhaustion, grief, or stress, comparison can be especially painful.
That’s why self-awareness is so important. Not the kind that leads to self-judgment, but the kind that helps you notice your emotions with curiosity and compassion. When you find yourself scrolling through someone else's highlight reel or feeling like you're falling short, pause. What are you actually feeling? What do you need?
Here a few practical steps that can help you catch yourself if comparison is turning into self-critique:
Remember, just because someone’s life is different doesn’t mean its better or easier. It’s like apples and oranges. Neither is inherently better or worse. If envy starts to sneak in, try to see it as a gentle reminder to tend to what makes you feel whole. It’s like the Beatles lyric from All You Need is Love: “Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
Cleo Wade, author, poet, and activist, reminds us about the power of our thoughts:
Tend to your thoughts with care. They have the power to grow weeds or flowers.
Mary Cooper, mom in the Big Bang Theory, wisely said:
Sometimes it’s the imperfect stuff that makes things perfect.
What do you need to feel like you this weekend?