So much of parenting is invisible labor. The planning. The wrapping. The adjusting. The pivoting. Our kids may never realize how much effort goes into the moments that feel small to them. And that’s okay. We don’t do it for the recognition. We do it out of love. If you’re doing a lot behind the scenes today, it still counts. 💙
Motivation as a parent on Christmas Eve is a thing. How do you motivate yourself to do the unseen work of parenting, even when the gratitude is quiet or delayed? Merry Christmas Eve to everyone.
Motivation as a parent on Christmas Eve is a thing. And I'm glad that tonight is kind of light for me because my kid didn't really ask for much this year. But I know he enjoys opening presents. And I know this because parenting has taught me that last year's behavior is not a reliable data point, because one year he seemed really bored with opening gifts. So I thought that I'd be efficient and put multiple presents into one box. You know, open once, play all day, done. And that plan fell apart immediately because after he opened those big boxes and saw everything, he kept asking what else he could open.
You know, I even let him open my presents, which somehow didn't fix it. So this year, I'm pivoting the other direction. He's got a couple of things I'm pretty sure he wants, plus a bunch of what would normally be stocking stuffers, individually wrapped, which means I'm about to spend an hour or so wrapping tiny things like it's my new side hustle. Will he want them and unwrap them? Maybe. Will he lose interest halfway through? Also maybe. And I can't preemptively decide how this will go or be disappointed if it looks different tomorrow, because there are so many things that we do as parents that our kids have no idea took time, energy, or effort.
And we don't do them expecting them to get it. We do them out of love. So tonight, I'll enjoy the process and hope that it brings them happiness, because that's the goal. And now I'm curious. How do you motivate yourself to do the unseen work of parenting, even when the gratitude is quiet or delayed? Merry Christmas Eve to everyone. Wrapping tiny things with big hearts.
Reactions and comments are for members. Joining is free and takes a minute.
