Man, can things get serious in working parent life. Exhausted parents. Screaming children. Work deadlines. Spilled milk. Mixed-up lunches. And barf. Lots of barf.
If we don’t zoom out (often), really tune into the beautiful mess of this chaotic life, and find some humor, we’re likely to go mad. And we’re bound to miss some of the precious, hilarious, and awe-inspiring perspectives our kiddos so readily share with us. Daily.
My husband’s two words of the year for 2018 have been “health and humor.” (For those wondering, mine are “worth and value,” a story for another day.) How to focus on humor? For starters, we’re off to a Trevor Noah date night here in D.C. in a few weeks. We also try to find humor in the daily antics of our children. My husband often posts snippets of their crazy conversations on Facebook. Me? I write them down in The Five Minute Journal, my favorite gratitude practice tool.
In the spirit of spreading humor, I’m dedicating this post to things that have made me smile, laugh, or otherwise change my perspective on the gravity of this whole working parenthood gig. It’s a top 10 list of funny comments, Letterman style. My challenge to you? To make your own list. And to share some of your funny and touching moments in comments below.
They Cracked Me Up (Or Made Me Say “Awwwww”) When They Said…
10. Son: “Mommy, you know Maggie from camp?” Me: “Yes.” Son: “Guess what her real name is.” Me: “Margaret?” Son: “Yes! – oh wait, mommy…that’s a salad dressing!” Me: “You mean vinaigrette?” Son: “Oh yeah. Oops.”
9. “Mommy, I know what you do at work all day. ”Me: “Yes?” Son: “A whole bunch of blah blah blah.”
8. In answering the Q&A a Day for Kids question we do at breakfast each morning, the question “What rules at home seem silly to you?” elicited the following responses. Oldest: “That I have to sit down when I practice piano.” Youngest: “No farting at people.”
7. Son: “Mommy, if you had to miss a day of camp or a day of school, which would you miss?” Me: “That’s a tough one, but I guess probably camp. You had a ton of fun there.” Son (in an extremely serious voice): “Wrong answer. You don’t want to miss school, because you don’t want to miss the LEARNING.” (Thank you, DCPS, for instilling the importance of school attendance in my children.)
6. At a CVS Minute Clinic, at the end of our visit. Nurse Practitioner: “Do you have any other questions for me?” Son: “Yes. When was the last time you farted?” Nurse Practitioner: “I really don’t think anyone has ever asked me that question before.”
5. After I drew a highly unsophisticated stick figure, “Wow, mommy…you are the most amazing artist. You draw *so* much better than I do!”
4. After learning his teacher was having a baby and requiring me (a lawyer, mind you) to provide an explanation of a uterus: “Wow, mommy…you’re just like a doctor. You know all about how the body works!”
3. Singing: “Home, home on the range! Where the deer and the *cantaloupe* graze!”
2. “Mommy, are boys allowed to be lawyers when they grow up?” (Ha!)
1. “Mommy, I love your squishy belly. That’s where I used to live, and it makes you the snuggliest mommy in the whole world!”
Your turn! If your little ones aren’t talking yet, I’m sure they’ve still done some pretty hilarious things. And if they are, I guarantee there are moments worth recording. What’s your favorite? Share below and spread some cheer to those of us who need a smile today.
If you need more help getting your head in a better place to return to work after maternity leave, join us for the next session of Mindful Return.
Want more practical tips on working parenthood? Check out my book, Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave.
