‘Good Enough’
Why Being a ‘Good Enough’ Parent Might Be the Healthiest Choice You Can Make in 2026
Parents Magazine - January 2026
The tandem bike wobbled before we even left the rental shop’s parking lot. My son's panic hit first, then mine. Within minutes, we were both crying, returning the bike and walking to the beach instead.
I'd imagined our adventure differently. His classmates rode bikes together after school while we lingered on the sidelines. I caught other parents' glances and remembered my own father running beside me, holding my bike seat until I learned to fly. This island trip was supposed to be our turning point.
But sitting in the sand afterward, when my son told me he wasn't ready—that he had to do this on his own time—something shifted. The pressure I'd been carrying around had nothing to do with him at all.
What I didn’t know then is that our failed bike ride and our talk on the beach were actually something close to what psychologists call "good enough parenting."