Tips to Be a Happier Parent in 2020
This Year, I Want to Be a Happier Parent, Not Necessarily a "Better" One
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You may have heard of "divide and conquer" as a parenting dynamic. I've employed it ever since our second kid was born. With our first baby, my husband and I did everything together as a unit. Doctor appointments, swim classes, walks to the park – you name it, the three of us were there. But once we had two kids, we realised how much more we could get done if we divvied up. One parent could get groceries with the baby in tow while the other took the toddler to a playdate. So efficient! But, a few years into that dynamic, I'm realising a third, far better option: all or no one. Sometimes, it's impossible for me or my husband to ever recharge when we are constantly liable for another human, so we are more frequently opting to take one for the team to give the other an actual full-on break. My husband will brave the grocery store with both kids while I get a manicure, and I'll take the kids to the park and for lunch while he takes a three-hour nap. It can be exhausting when you're "on call" but, oh, does it make up for it when you're not.