Being a parent is hard.

You start from scratch every day and run until you’re empty, hoping that you’ve made a dent, that you did something right, that one of your lessons actually sticks. One of the intentional ones.

But you won’t know for a while. Not for years, not truly. And the lack of feedback, direct or otherwise, makes the job even harder. It’s impossible to know how well you’re doing and thus it’s very easy to succumb to self-doubt.

This is why judgment from other parents is so obnoxious; it’s redundant. Every decent parent already constantly questions their own parenting.

Here is a small sampling of the questions that run through every parent’s head nearly every single day.

Am I doing this right?
Am I patient enough?
Do I yell too much?
Will he turn out okay?
Am I giving her everything she needs?
Is he too young to watch Star Wars
Am I setting him up for success?
Am I too hard on her?
Am I too easy on him?
Does she know how much I love her?
Am I too distracted?
Am I too preoccupied?
Am I holding her back?
Is this much mac and cheese really healthy?
Am I spoiling him?
Am I depriving her?
Do I expect too much from him?
Do I discipline enough?
Do I discipline too much?
Do I spend enough time with him?
Am I too selfish?
Do I work too much?
Is she too dependent on me?
Am I smothering him?
Does she eat enough vegetables?
Does he eat too much junk food?
Does she watch too much TV?
Does he get enough exercise?
Am I too protective?
Am I good role model?
Is he learning the right things from me?
Am I a good parent?
Is it too early for a drink?

I know I’ve missed around ten thousand. What are some of the parenting questions you ask yourself every day?