The Saddest Day of Your Life
When you said "I want to be a DJ"
Hello, my friends and readers! Well here we are on what is supposed to be the last day of February, and I will say that it does feel like some version of cruel torture that there is one more day in this month!
But at least we have more content for you! This week on Parenting is a Joke we brought on one of the funniest parents on the socials - if you haven’t followed Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting yet, great stuff is waiting for you and you’ll love this conversation with her about all of the ridiculous things we navigate and complain about as parents, but also some very real and scary stuff we have to tackle. You can listen to it here.
I don’t know about your household, but my kid often asks heavy questions right before bed or in the morning right before school - truly the LEAST convenient times to parent an existential child. This morning over his pancakes my son asked What was the saddest moment of your life? I was caught off-guard and I answered truthfully. Our morning went from Hump Day Haha to Hospice Wah Wah. After I dropped him off at school, I thought of 20 answers that would have been still truthful but slightly more appropriate for a child heading to elementary school on a dreary Wednesday morning.
The day you said, "I think I want to be a DJ."
The day you asked me to look up how much college will cost in 2034.
The day I could sleep in because I was at a hotel by myself but I still woke up at 6:45am.
The one day I didn’t bring extra clothes to baby music class and you pooped through a onesie and I had to create a makeshift onesie out of my favorite flannel shirt.
That week you crossed from newborn stage to infant – only because we thought we had the easiest baby of all time that slept through the night and we had nailed parenthood, not understanding it was just a stage.
The day you learned my age, because WOW you won’t let me forget it now.
The day I realized you’d already outpaced me with your understanding of technology. You were 4.
The day your dad got a sinus infection that lasted 6 months. It was his ‘Nam.
The day they shut down the schools
The day they shut down the schools again
Day 2 of Zoom School
The day I understood that in order to do my job, I needed a babysitter. And in order to pay for a babysitter, I needed a second job.
The day they called me from school to say that you’d fallen at recess and had a gash on your head. I was in the Delta lounge of JFK and had to finish my mimosa fast
That I’d never “get ahead” on anything….ever… again
The day I realized I had also had to google the majority of the simple questions you ask me about the world, because as it turns out I know nothing. I lied to you about how the solar system works because I couldn’t remember and I felt embarrassed
The day Yo Mama became part of our daily vernacular.
The day I realized that saying “put your shoes on” 45 times before 8am is normal
The day I looked in the mirror after a week of sleeping well, eating fresh meals, drinking water, working out, not having a lot of stress, and realized this was the best I would ever look.
The day you first rolled your eyes at me. Who knew 10001000 more were to come
The day you told me you were too old for cuddling before bed. You changed your mind the next day but I realized the cuddling is more for me than it is for you.
What is one of your saddest moments? Throw it in the comments - this is a nice way to bond, I have to say.
I know you’ll enjoy this week’s episode with @bigtimeadulting’s Caitlin Murray. And look forward to upcoming episodes with hilarious comic and new dad Mike Feeney, plus from across the pond, the hysterical Jen Brister!
So many of your answers are SPOT ON. I'm about to write a post on this, but one of my saddest moments was when my 5 year old said she no longer wanted this stuffed tiny puppy animal on trips and in bed. This thing was her SPECIAL. We couldn't leave the house without it. Then one day she was like...meh. I was not emotionally prepared, much like your cuddling evening.