“I’ll be there for you!” It occurred to me that the peppy theme song for my favourite 90s sitcom is actually an anthem for parenting. It’s what we do, being there for our kids as best we can. I used to love the anticipation of a new episode to see the adventures of Monica, Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Chandler and Joey. Looking back, I realize that a lot of the iconic moments in Friends were very relatable from a parenting perspective.
Parents sing a lot of silly made up songs
We make up songs for a variety of reasons: to inspire potty training compliance, to proliferate broccoli-related propaganda and to promote the value of dental hygiene. I sing, “Good Morning, my Liam, I love you!” to get him to roll out of bed with a smile through the week. One Saturday morning, he crept into my room and sang, “Good Morning, my mommy, I love you!” I melted completely.
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Some of the best moments of your life revolve around the couch
It’s the land of bra removal after a long day and a landing spot for collapse after successfully negotiating a small person into bed after the longest day ever. It holds goldfish crackers, sippy cups and long sighs. The couch is the predictable, central meeting place for your favourite people.
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It seems like nobody knows what you do
Uber driver compensated in abstract fridge art? Finder of things that are directly in front of kid faces but need “Mom Vision” to be located? Apple juice sommelier? What DO I do around here? EVERYTHING, mostly. Thanks for asking.
We play dress up, even when it seems silly
This is particularly true when you are the parent of an only child. Princess tea parties and swashbuckling pirate adventures just aren’t the same without a similarly clad sidekick. Sometimes you just have to suck it up, put on the tiara and own it.
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You spend a lot of time asking about people’s days
It doesn’t have to be an interrogation to get the information you need. Sometimes you have to schmooze it up a little to find out about the latest spelling test. After all, you just want them to know you are interested.
Parenting can be hard, but at the end of the day, you can curl up on the couch, ask everyone how they are doing, and let them know that you’ll be there for them. After all, they’re there for you too! (Admit it, you sang along!)
What Friends character best represents your parenting style?
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