Survival Mode vs Intentional Parenting

I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say that parenting is a really tough job. It's a rewarding job, but far tougher than anyone realizes. There are so many decisions, conscious and unconscious, that parents must make on an almost minute-to-minute basis. I'm afraid that most of my parenting decisions lately have been of the unconscious variety, and that's not because life has been easy-breezy. I guess there are golden periods when the unconscious decision-making works.The twos were a golden period for Cara. Granted, I stressed through some of the decisions we had to make (like potty training and transitioning to a big girl bed), but for the most part, I was able to follow my gut and do what felt right in the moment. I have to give a lot of credit to Cara too -- she was an easy two-year-old. She was spunky and sweet, brave but not too brave. She helped me build my parenting conf...