As a parent, don't you sometimes examine yourself what kind of a Mom or a Dad are you? I do. There comes a time when I am so caught up with I usually ask myself these questions:

• Am I too strict?
• Am I too OA sometimes?
• Do I see to it that I attend to their needs?
• Do I make sure that I kiss and hug them enough?
• Do I spend too much time at work and less for them?
• Are there times that I prioritize other things before them?
• Do I teach them the values they should learn to equip them as adults in the future?

Oh well, I know you will say that I over-analyze.  But I can't help it sometimes, especially that I am a full-time working mom who is always out of the house, away from them and goes home late on some days due to work.
I know some of you could relate to me and understand what I'm talking about. :) It's normal for us to analyze how we are as parents to our children and it's healthy too! Remember, there is no perfect way to parenting our own children because what works for others may not work for you. Besides, each child is different from another, so it's also important to know your child well so you would also identify what style would work for him or her.
Let me share with you some things I do to check if I'm doing okay as a mom to my children:

• Role Playing - I exchange roles with my toddler. I pretend to be the baby and I let him play the role of a daddy. The manner that he will portray the role as a parent will reflect how he sees you as a mom or a dad to him. I love this role playing that we do because I see immediately what kind of a mom he sees I am to him and his brother. In the eyes of a almost three-year-old boy, everything he sees and feels are purely genuine and sincere. He takes care of me like a baby and asks if I want milk, then pretends to mix milk and give me a bottle. He touches my face and sings me a lullaby. He reads his favorite books to me, hugs and kisses me endlessly. He also reprimands me when I pretend to run around without slippers. For this, I'm grateful that he views me as a loving but sometimes strict mom.

• Drawing - My toddler is now interested in drawing and colors. He doodles anything. But since he can't "really" draw, he asks me or his yaya to draw for him. His favorite subject is: "Yab-Yab-Mommy." In his language, it means, he wants us to draw a Mommy hugging a little boy, which is of course is his perspective of how I am to him. Psychologists could read what a child is thinking and feeling through drawings. Through drawing, a child could express his emotions which they can't through words. Here's an example of this drawing below:

• Talking. A parent can communicate to their children in more ways than one. Playing, dancing, singing, drawing. But for older children, like my D, I regularly talk to him. I call home from the office and ask him how his day went. Before sleeping, we also have a "3-Questions" bonding talk. I get to ask him three questions every night about how him and his friends or school he also gets to ask me afterwards. Since he is old enough to express himself using words, this process is more effective for his age. I ask him these questions: What do you love most about mommy? What he doesn't like about mommy? Lastly, what does he wish mommy could do for him more? Make sure you

Having said the above, I'm sure you also have your unique ways of knowing from your children how they see you as their their mom or dad. But let's not pressure ourselves trying to be a SUPERMOM or SUPERDAD! No one, no style and no technique is perfect. Let me leave you with this:

Have a good weekend loves! :)