Parenting is the hardest job in the world, so there will undoubtedly have been some challenges and steep learning curves. This is true whether you are pregnant, a first-time parent or have a larger family. But even the long nights can become wins if seen in a new light – by reflecting on what you have learnt or even just acknowledging that you survived some tough experiences.
Parenting is also the best and most rewarding job in the world and without question you’ll have done so many things well and made a load of brilliant memories. With all the talk of New Year’s resolutions it can be easy to start looking forward without celebrating this. Without noticing all the handholds and pieces of toast buttered and trips out you organised.
Without stopping to give ourselves credit for all the good work we will have been doing in raising the future. During a cost of living crisis. Coming out of a pandemic. Amid a challenging time for childcare. We could go on…
Basically, we think you need to give yourself some credit, so have created a few ideas on how you could do just that.
Here at My First Five Years HQ, we’ve been taking a breath to do this too. We have ambitious plans for the year ahead but we are also really proud of what we have achieved so far in launching an app that is making a real difference to parents.
We hope that by creating your own version of a Parenting Best Bits for 2022, you will feel rightly proud too.
Use the photos on your phone or computer to create a specific album of your best bits
You could do a video version too, to create your own highlights reel. You don’t need to share this anywhere if you don’t want to. Sometimes even just knowing that someone else will see it can influence what we really want to say or remember. We curate our feeds even if we are aiming to be authentic!
Your app scrapbook can be a lovely thing to look at
This helps you see all the memories you’ve made with your child over the past few weeks, months or even year. Even if you don’t use this specific feature of the app, you will still be able to see all the skills that your child has mastered. How wonderful is it to see all the different ways that your child has grown (and not just the usual big milestones)? We think it is truly incredible.
If photography isn’t your thing, then here are a few writing prompts that you could use to think about the year you’ve had
Grab a notebook, any notebook, and get scribbling.
Make yourself a 2022 playlist that you can attach specific memories to
This is a twist on the Spotify 2022 Wrapped playlists that are circulating at this time of year. The songs that remind you of that trip at half term. The album you listened to all holiday. The song that was playing when you had your baby. The song that your toddler can’t help but dance along to. The song that your four-year-old has learnt the (incorrect) words to. This one is guaranteed to be a tear-jerker in years to come.
Allocate some time to talk about your parenting best bits with your partner or a close friend/relative
Ok, we know this is not something we necessarily make a habit of doing. And we love talking about the tough stuff, we really do. It always helps to know that you are not alone in managing a situation. Parenting is really lonely and difficult at times and having someone to talk to on the hard days is so important and helpful.
But why don’t we also talk about when things went really well? The situations we totally nailed.
The day when you spontaneously went to the beach and ate ice cream for lunch that your children still talk about regularly. That was you! Or the time that you got stuck in traffic for seven hours but actually it wasn’t that bad, and you got through it. Or the fact that you finally got a full night’s sleep (even if it was just one night and it has never happened since – we hear you!) Talk about it. Laugh about it. Learn from it.
Perhaps these suggestions feel like more work than you have the time or energy for. Perhaps you’re pretty good at noticing your wins regularly, so don’t feel the need for a full year’s round-up.
But it nothing else, at least let this be a nudge to stop for a couple of minutes and celebrate everything that you have achieved as a parent this year. Because we are really good at remembering the full meltdown that happened in the middle of the supermarket over Christmas (shudder). But we’re less great at totting up the times we have given cuddles at bedtime, raced home from work to be there at a nursery door, held hands to cross roads, organised play dates and stopped to talk about the weather. There will be so many big things and seemingly small things that actually aren’t remotely small. There will be a long list of achievements for you to be proud of.
Because we know for a fact that you did a great job.