Parenting is quite a stressful endeavor. These little rugrats like to get you going from the second they see you in the morning to the second they say “night night daddy” at the end of the day. Throughout the day, you will be challenged. You will doubt yourself. You will second-guess the job you are doing as a parent and maybe even your decision to become a parent at all. You will also lose your shit from time to time.
Learn to Forget
When you find yourself stressing, turn to the advice of the great Ted Lasso…
Let the little things go. Learn how to forget the things that are said all the time, but that aren’t really meant.
- Forget that they told you they didn’t want to play with you.
- Forget that they hit you and screamed at you.
- Forget that they told you they didn’t love you.
Let all of that crap go. All of it is just a child being a child. If you take any of this personal, it will wear you down and eventually break you.
Learn to Remember
On the other hand, remember why you are here. Remember the important decisions that you made to become a parent and bring this child into the world. Think about the promises you made yourself and your child. That you would be there for them and take care of them and love them no matter what. It’s very similar to making the decision to become a husband and providing for your wife and eventually your family.
In this sense, be an elephant. Never forget the important decisions you’ve made that have brought you to this moment in your life. On the other hand, you also have to be a goldfish. Learn to quickly forget about the little, meaningless interactions you have that could set you back if you decide to focus on them.
Think positive. Let go of the negative.
The more you train yourself to think in this way, the easier it will be to let the little things slide and focus on what is really important. Your values and the decisions that have shaped your life will keep you grounded. They are what built your foundation and what you will need to rely on when they going gets tough.
