Am I A Bad Mother If I.......?

                        We are imperfect beings.There is not one,without sin,who can cast the first stone.So why do we beat up on ourselves when it comes to our parenting? If you  occasionally find yourself doing this you are not alone. I often berate myself because I am not the mother I want to be, all the time;not the mother I imagined I would be when I fantasized about it.
                        No one ever warned me about the reality of parenting.That the cost to rear a child would greatly surpass what I would earn.That your authority as a parent would not guarantee your child's cooperation.That you can't raise each child with the same set of guidelines because they are so uniquely different and would not respond the same.
                        I often wonder if I am a bad parent  because I get overwhelmed and angry when I have no time for myself to relax and regroup. Sometimes I think I am a bad parent when I can't afford to treat the occasional trip to McDonald's or any other activity they may desire. I still even find myself feeling that I'm a bad parent because I have yet to find a mate to fill the void of father figure, they so desperately long for. 
                       To determine what qualifies one as a bad parent, I guess you first must consider what  are the characteristics of a good parent.In my opinion a good parent:
                        1. Provides a nurturing home for their child.
                        2. Supplies the external needs of their child ( clothes,shoes,food,etc.)
                        3. Supplies the internal needs of their child  ( love,self esteem,trust,etc.)
                        4. Protects their child
                        5. Makes education a priority
                        6. Puts God at the head of their home and encourages their child to have their own relationship with him,on a level they can understand.
                        7. Does not allow any negative influences in the home, in any form ( television,radio,books,etc)
                        8.Teaches their child,by example,how to carry themselves with respect and dignity.
                        9.Does not break the law or allow their child to by any degree
                      10.When it comes to their mate,and they are not married,they put their kids first. ( Some may disagree,but relationships come and go, your children are forever. Children need to know from you,especially if they are from a single parent home,that they are priceless and irreplacable.)
                       So after examining my list, do I still feel like a bad parent? Actually no and I don't think you should either.If you see yourself in either or all of my points listed above, I believe you should be brushing your shoulders off about now.We all have our good days and bad days,and if you still have the ability to come out on the other side to face another day, you should be commended.There are no bad parents or bad kids;Just students of life trying to learn without a handbook.