Parent or Caregivers Please Grab Yourself Some Ice Cream
It was a gorgeous fall day and after walking around Centennial Lakes Park, it was right in front of me. Yup. Thank heavens!
The chalkboard sign read, “Ice Cream. Come On In!”
Well, duh. After untwisting both of my arms to do so, I walked to Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. Who am I kidding? I ran in. Then, as if a spotting a beacon on a stormy sea, there was this particularly tempting flavor. I chose it for oh so many reasons. Just look at the ingredients!
Bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream swirled with bittersweet chocolate chunks.
What a treat it was, and it made me realize that it is high time we all stop and reward ourselves for what we have been able to adapt to in these unbelievably changing times.
If you are a parent or caregiver of any sort, please stop right now and pat yourself on the back and grab some ice cream. These unprecedented times are so complex and you are doing your best.
I want to share some encouragement and perspective from both my professional background in education and as a parent/caregiver. From sunup to sundown we are actually running a small business if you will, in terms of kids, caregiving, and being responsible for another’s wellbeing.
You have worn at least ten of the following hats today:
Parent, Coach, Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Referee, Negotiator, Medic, Psychologist, Chef, Chauffeur, Fashion Contributor/Enforcer, Secretary, Banker, Housekeeper, Mechanic, Nutritionist, Project Manager, Therapist, Academic Supply Specialist & on and on.
This list is exhaustive but as humans, we don’t celebrate nearly often enough what we are doing well!
I also suggest giving yourselves permission to take the time to think about the following:
1) Anything that you provided for your child or loved one is more than they received the day before. Period!
2) Offering CHOICE empowers them and minimizes the power struggle, i.e. “Do you want to do your math or your English first?” “Would you rather take a bath first or unload the dishwasher?”
3) As you wind down the day and have spent your every last amount of energy, ask yourself as well as them, “What went right today? What are you proud of? What are you excited about?”
In the spirit of supporting not only your own perspective “small businesses” at home as a parent, we can all support these local ice cream shops that also sell ‘Exhausted Parent’ ice cream:
Ambrosia Coffee &Café
Centennial Lakes
7373 France Ave Edina, MN
Licks Unlimited
31 Water St Excelsior, MN
Jo Jo’s Rise & Wine
12501 Nicollet Ave Burnsville, MN
Parenting and Caregiving in ANY way shape or form
requires Ice Cream in these most recent times…
By the cup, cone, OR by the gallon, (depending on your day of course!) continue to celebrate the small victories each day,
Kaari
