Being an Imperfect Parent

The Dr. Laura Podcast

Dr. Laura Schlessinger & SiriusXM

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4.6 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Listen to my Morning Monologue: I’m sharing my take on pressing issues, enlightening research on human behavior, answering questions I get by email, and my favorite, most instructive interactions with callers. Everything you’ll hear is designed to help you become a better spouse, parent, family member, co-worker, friend, and human being. It’s the free therapy you need! Call 1-800-DR-LAURA / 1-800-375-2872, email drlaura@drlaura.com, or make an appointment at DrLaura.com

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for listening to my morning monologue.
0:03.8	Brought to you by Golden Crest Metals, helping everyday investors protect what they've worked so hard to build by adding gold and silver to retirement portfolios.
0:14.2	Learn more at goldencrestmedals.com slash protect.
0:18.6	Remember, you can hear my radio program daily on Sirius XM Triumph and connect with me 24-7 at
0:26.6	Dr.ora.com.
0:28.2	I want to talk to you about being an imperfect parent.
0:35.2	That's the definition of a parent, an imperfect person, taking care and raising another individual.
0:44.2	Let's be honest.
0:46.4	Nobody does it perfectly right.
0:49.0	You know what the main reason is?
0:51.3	Because it's a relationship that unfolds in real time. And every kid is a new relationship.
1:02.5	So how can you be perfect at it? The kid's evolving, you're evolving. Those two things
1:08.7	don't always mesh perfectly, and then every kid is
1:12.3	different bag of nervous system issues. So there's stress and kids grow and change and there are
1:25.8	missteps and you have to repair things. Now, when you parents spend all your time going, oh, I have to be perfect, then you use any imperfection of your kid to get very upset. Because if you were a perfect parent, if you had done it perfectly right, if you had been
1:46.3	a adequate perfectly parent, then they wouldn't have any problems, physical or psychological.
1:54.3	They wouldn't have any issues at school, with friends, nothing.
2:07.6	So... nothing. So the reality is it can't be perfect.
2:16.6	So when a kid doesn't meet a developmental milestone on a precise timeline, when the toddler becomes a picky eater or gives
2:23.4	the teacher heck at school this relentless pursuit of you to be perfect unrealistic expectations
2:31.7	constant self-criticism and probably driving your kid crazy because
2:37.5	you can't stand. They're just going through normal stuff because it makes you feel like a failure.
	...

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