’Tis the season of beautifully wrapped Hallmark movies and perfectly curated Instagram stories. Don’t get me wrong, I love to look at the festive houses, the cheerful family outings, or the snow falling gently while someone calmly and slowly sips a hot cup of tea. But, as I chug my reheated coffee, it can leave me feeling particularly aware of my own house full of half opened boxes of decorations or my children refusing (again) to wear mittens outside.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, ‘don’t compare your unedited, behind the scenes life to someone else’s highlight reel’. It’s hard for our brains to remember that, but it’s true! As parents we know how much energy goes into keeping all the balls in the air. Why would we think adding a holiday with an expectation to create ‘magic’ would in fact be magical? Personally, I feel like I make magic happen every time I manage to get my laundry cleaned and put away. But that’s not really what I’m posting on social media.
This year, I’d like to step back and remember the magic we do for our children and our families all year. Every day you are a parent advocate, but that means more than IEP meetings. Let’s talk about what happens in the in-between moments. What parenting moment makes you proud? Maybe it was picture perfect, maybe it was a beautiful mess, it doesn’t matter, it’s yours and we want to celebrate it.
