Parenting Part 2

[00:00:17.49]Rooted&Real here, again.
[00:00:20.01]So let’s pick this up.
[00:00:22.49]This is another note on ‘Parenting’.
[00:00:26.41]So to every tired parent, listen here.
[00:00:31.21]Those kids, they don’t
need a perfect parent.
[00:00:34.37]They just need a present one.
[00:00:37.09]I hope you heard me.
[00:00:39.89]Your kids don’t need a perfect parent.
[00:00:42.89]They just need a present one.
[00:00:44.19](‘Be a Present Parent, Not a
Perfect One.’) So we are here.
[00:00:47.33]We’re seeing homemade lunches, perfect
bedrooms, five languages by age four.
[00:00:55.93]And we think, “I’m failing.”
[00:00:58.29]So we chase perfection.
[00:01:00.73]The clean house, those lovely snacks.
[00:01:05.13]The ‘no-screen-time, ‘no-sugar,
‘no-mistakes’ childhood.
[00:01:09.49]But what we’re chasing is perfect.
[00:01:15.09]But there’s no perfection because
we’re missing those actual moments.
[00:01:20.69]The kids won’t remember
if the house was clean.
[00:01:24.41]They’ll remember if you looked up
from your phone when they talked.
[00:01:29.69]They won’t remember the
perfect birthday party.
[00:01:32.85]They’ll remember you dancing
in the kitchen with them.
[00:01:36.93]Listen, 10 distracted minutes don’t count.
[00:01:42.25]But 2 minutes of eye contact,
2 minutes of laughing, 2 minutes
[00:01:48.13]of really listening, that does.
It does count.
[00:01:54.41]So put down your phone.
[00:01:58.69]Five minutes only.
[00:02:00.33]Get on that floor.
[00:02:02.45]Say, “Tell me about your day,”
and actually wait for the answer.
[00:02:08.29]Let the laundry wait.
[00:02:09.85]Let the dishes wait.
[00:02:12.25]You know what?
[00:02:12.97]The mess will still be there,
but this version of your kid won’t.
[00:02:19.17]So to every parent carrying guilt,
you don’t have to be perfect.
[00:02:26.05]You just have to be here.
[00:02:29.41]And guess what?
[00:02:31.09]You already are.