This Valentine’s Day, let’s ditch the guilt. There’s so much pressure on working parents during COVID to be everything at home and everything at work, that we don’t need more stress right now.
Here’s my Valentine’s Day love poem to all working parents:
A Guilt-Free Valentine’s Day
This Valentine’s Day,
blame COVID,
please.
It’s not because of you
that the little shoeboxes
of tear-apart valentines
taped with yellow lollipops
didn’t come home in a backpack
this year.
It’s not a shortcoming
of yours
that you can’t get a babysitter
and go out for a
too-expensive dinner date.
You did nothing wrong
if cards didn’t get sent
or flowers didn’t get bought
or dishes didn’t get washed
or life got away from you
or you wound up too tired
and simply crashed
at the end of the day.
The COVID wall is real
for us.
The Primal Scream is real
for us.
If that one last little
Valentines Day-related task
is about to push you
over the edge,
don’t do it.
Your family needs you
on this side
of the cliff.
“Oh well,” you can tell yourself.
Blame COVID, please.
Then drop the guilt
into a gutter
and in its place,
scoop up in your hands
the love –
for yourself,
your family,
your friends,
the ones who really matter –
and sit with it for a hot, glowing minute.
That’s what this Valentines Day is meant to be about
anyway.
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