Parenting, life + personal wellbeing: it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Thoughts on instant gratification, creating stronger boundaries, what defines success? and why am I the way that I am.

*I was trying to find a photo for this post and this one really just read “she’s doing her best” ha.

Note: I had no idea what to call this post because there is a lot to cover. Welcome to my Wednesday brain dump.

Leading up to Christmas I was worried about my kids reaction to Christmas morning. In years past, I’ve been completely enraged at their “thank you, next” reaction to presents under the tree and insisted that it was due to their lack of gratitude and need for more. This year, we didn’t get them very much. We celebrated Christmas alone, as a family of 5. There was no big gift from Santa under the tree but instead, small, intentional items. Some they asked for, some they didn’t. When the presents were open I felt panicky hoping they thought the morning was special despite “less" and went to each child, one by one, asking - “are you happy?” Let me tell you, it was the best Christmas I’ve ever witnessed my kids enjoy. They sat for hours together, organizing football cards, reading to each other, doing puzzles, running outside to play catch.

In my quest for fewer, better in all areas of my life - work, home, material items, friendships - I want my kids to understand this concept, too. Lately I’ve been very aware of the need for instant gratification that is truly running our day to day lives and worried about what that means for everything else. Something as simple as a commercial on cable TV can cause irritation. I’ve realized that I am going to be that parent who will always think of my own childhood and the simpler times we had. I feel a duty that we truly are the last generation who didn’t grow up with everything available at our finger tips. Dave and I love to remind our kids of this, just like my parents/grandparents did to me. As Mr. Rogers once said:

“The biggest mistake parents make is not to remember their own childhood.”

It’s a duty I don’t take lightly.