The Eco Monitor on my dryer

So who's idea was it to put an Eco Monitor on the dryer we bought last year?  We literally wore the last dryer out.  We got the largest capacity dryer they sell at Lowe's.  And I kid you not, it has an Eco Monitor on it.  It goes from Good to Best with a light that tells you where the current load of laundry falls on this scale.  I have yet to come close to the Best side.  I'm usually on Good, the very first choice.  Because let me repeat, we bought the largest capacity dryer we could find so I fill this dryer with lots of clothes and try to dry them.  That is my goal.  I do an average of 8 loads of laundry per week for a family of 6.  When I use the Eco Normal cycle, nothing gets dry and then I end up drying the clothes for another cycle to get them dry.  I'm no expert, but I'm sure that is not Eco Effective for the environment. (And when I use the Eco Normal cycle, it still doesn't get me to the Best side.  I'm wondering what will get me to the Best side.  I suppose the Gentle Cycle on Fluff with no hot air coming out).  

So the darn little Eco Monitor is just one more thing to throw on the Mommy guilt pile.  Well, not really, but it does bug me.  And it also reminds me that we receive signals from many sources each day telling us how we are doing as parents.  Are we doing a Good job or the Best job?  There seem to be so many parenting rules out there.  Play outside 60 minutes each day, limit your child's screen time, kids should read at least 20  min. each day, drink more water and less juice, wear sunscreen, be consistent with discipline, use positive reinforcement instead of being negative, eat meals together as a family, spend quality time together, don't raise your voice, etc.  Many of us moms feel terrible when we have a day that our kids seem to spend more time playing video games and watching TV than we would like.  We forgot to have them read, dinner was a rush rush deal because two kids needed to be two different places at 6 p.m., no one has sunscreen on and they drank Sprite instead of milk.  No Best for you today Mom, only a Good.  It is easy to get discouraged.

Thankfully there is no Mommy Monitor blinking above our head each day.  Phew, that's a relief.  And in the end, what really matters is that we care.  That we even care about all those "rules" and we try to do our best and that for the most part our kids don't get sunburned, they learn how to read and they drink their milk.  I'll take a Good on the Mommy Monitor, it's better than terrible, right?