The Social Media Representation vs. The Reality of Parenthood

Adult human female anatomy diagram chartAt home insemination

Today, I snapped a picture of my children perched on a picnic blanket, beaming at the camera, and instantly thought, “What a beautiful moment! I should share this on Facebook!”

The version of our day that would land on social media might read like this:

After returning from our family vacation and enduring a heatwave (in Ireland, this means a balmy 70 degrees), my kids all slept in until 8 a.m. So far, so good!

We spent the morning frolicking in the garden, had lunch on that lovely picnic blanket – which explains the photo – and then we set out ingredients to create homemade ice pops for the next day, a delightful activity with my two daughters while the baby napped quietly.

Following that, the girls and I enjoyed a little pampering session where they painted my nails, and I reciprocated by painting theirs.

We then prepared heart-shaped sandwiches from a recipe in my daughter’s cookbook and took them to the playground for a late afternoon picnic, taking turns on the swings. We even picked some fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner before heading home for another al fresco meal. What a perfect end to an idyllic day!

Or was it?

While everything mentioned above is indeed factual, the true narrative of our day—one that the Facebook snapshot conveniently omits—reveals a different picture.

The morning was actually filled with bickering; I spent most of it mediating arguments between the girls over who got to be the princess and who was the sister in their imaginary play. When I denied them yogurts just minutes before lunch, there was a mini rebellion complete with foot stomping. The picnic was less picturesque, with food squished into the blanket, the toddler’s feet intruding on his sisters’ plates, and heated disputes over who had the biggest sandwich. My Facebook image captured just a fleeting moment of calm amidst a chaotic mealtime.

The homemade ice pops? They were essentially a hodgepodge of whatever we had in the fridge—water, orange juice, some grapes, and a lonely strawberry thrown in. The nail polish the girls applied to me was a disaster zone, and because it was some gel-based concoction (why?), I spent half an hour scrubbing it off after they were tucked in. Naturally, I had to reapply it neatly, so they wouldn’t be upset the next morning.

As for the heart-shaped sandwiches? They were more ‘triangle and strip’ than heart-shaped. We simply spread jam on bread, cut it into shapes, and rolled the strips.

The playground excursion was mostly fine, except when my four-year-old returned in tears, upset by a bigger girl’s request for a turn on the swing. I normally wouldn’t intervene, but seeing her distress compelled me to address the situation. After talking to the older girl, I learned she simply asked for a turn, and my sensitive little one had misunderstood. Lesson learned: sometimes it’s best not to jump in.

Our grocery shopping trip was predictably chaotic with three tired, hungry kids, and our garden dinner was interrupted by oversized flies that had to be dealt with. But you know what? Regardless of the ups and downs, it was still a good day.

For more parenting insights, check out this great resource on pregnancy and home insemination from the CDC. And if you’re looking for simple recipes to try with your kids, you can find some fascinating ideas at Intracervical Insemination. For those interested in the journey of home insemination, explore our guide on creating your own baby with the help of this at-home insemination kit.

In summary, the day might not have been the perfect picture shared online, but it was filled with real moments that defined our family life.