You had your chance to raise your child

 You had your chance to raise your child

You made your decisions
You set your routines
You chose what discipline looked like
What meals were cooked
What boundaries were honored
And what wasn’t

This is my turn now

I am not raising them to spite you
I’m not parenting this way because I think you failed
I’m parenting this way because I’m a different person
In a different time
With different values
And a different child

I’m not asking for permission
I’m not asking for approval
I’m asking for space
Space to grow into the kind of mother I want to be
Without being corrected at every step

If I ask for advice
Offer it
If I don’t
Trust that I’ve got this
Even if I do it differently

What I need is support
Not control
Respect
Not guilt
Love
Not constant comparison

This is my time
And I won’t spend it explaining every decision
Just so someone else can feel comfortable

I’m the mother now
And I’m doing what I know is right
For my child
For my home
For me