Kate at Picklebums wrote recently about how she had been tending to avoid posting photos because they’re not perfect: the room in the background is messy, the kids are grubby, the light’s not right…
I know exactly how she feels, because I go through the same thought process. She decided a challenge was in order to try and overcome this perfectionism and to just enjoy the days for what they are: perfectly imperfect.
During the week Kate and some other wonderful bloggers have been posting their perfectly imperfect photos. The weird thing is, until I read what each author felt was imperfect about their photo, I hadn’t noticed what it was. I think we tend to be too harsh on ourselves because we see our own messy life every day. We know where the cobwebs are, that there’s ironing to be done and faces to be washed and tend focus on that instead of being in the moment.
I love that this challenge has given me the opportunity to really enjoy some wonderful and fun moments with the kids, without concern for what I think other people might see.
Normally I would have been worried about weeds in the garden, toys everywhere and a dog badly in need of a haircut. Making biscuits would have been a regimented affair so as not to trash the kitchen or use the wrong ingredients (which is weird because I’m very bad at following recipes). And forget about photographing burnt biscuits! I would never have considered taking the kids’ pictures in the sandpit, also known as the toy graveyard.
Thanks Kate, for helping me let go of my perfectionism and to enjoy my perfectly imperfect life 
For more Perfectly Imperfect, head over to Picklebums.
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So glad you joined in… I suffer a lot from ‘perfect photo syndrome’ so it’s nice to have a bit of a reality check and just post a heap of great photos.. even if they are not 100% perfect!
It is a great challenge that Kate has put out there. I wish that I could take photos that were even half as good as yours, regardless of what is it!!
I’ve just found your blog via Kate’s blog which is also a recent find and I’ve been having a good read of your productivity for Mums series. I’ve recently found myself as a SAHM for the first time since having babies (my boys are aged 8 and 6) and after working full time as a primary teacher for about 18 years. I’m really struggling at home with no routine, no deadlines and no structure but after reading your blog I’ve come to see how I must build some structure for myself. I’m aiming to get to a point where I can have this house organised and be ready to go out and do relief teaching at a moment’s notice. What I thought would be relatively easy has become much harder than I ever thought it would be.
Thanks PQ! The key is lots of photos
My husband can’t believe the number of photos I have on my PC! Now I’m not looking for perfect home/family photos I’ll have even more 
It is really tough not having deadlines. I find that if I treat keeping house as a job it works much better for me. The nature of kids (as I’m sure you know!) means that the best laid plans sometimes just don’t come to fruition though. All part of being a parent