Today I Messed Up: An Imperfect Parent’s Survival Journal for the First Six Months

 
 

Congratulations! You have a baby.

You’ve gotten through most of your life by working hard, getting organized, and staying on top of things. You set high goals for yourself, and you meet them. And now, suddenly, you can’t.

You’re up all night, your clothes are covered in pee and spit-up, and every day, something gets spilled on, broken, or ruined. Your baby is still the best—the love of your life (or will be soon). But you might have to take a step back from your perfectionist ideals and just get through it.

And you can! People do survive the first six months of parenting. But the idea that this is supposed to be the most magical, sublime, cherished time in your life is just going to make everything worse. That’s where this journal comes in. Here you can vent, rage, and laugh about the worst days while reminding yourself that even if your “best” looks so much different right now than you thought it would, you are still doing a great job.


Sample pages