Parenting Tips: Centering Appreciation and Cultivating Connection
Parenting is difficult and wonderful all at the same time. But does it ever feel like the difficulty outweighs the wonder? If it does, you’re not alone. A phrase that resonates with many parents is that when it comes to parenting, the days are long and the years are short.
As this saying suggests, when we look back at our past we often come to new conclusions or glean new meaning from our experiences that may have been lost or overlooked in the stress of a moment. Parenting has its varied challenges as children grow from infancy through childhood and into their own adulthood, and as parents we have to find ways to be intentional about enjoying the moment while it’s happening. This means finding ways to appreciate yourself and the hard work you’re doing as a parent, as well as holding on to appreciation for your kids and your connection with them.
Cultivating Connection
The stronger the connections you develop with your children, the more rewarding you may find the parenting process to be. Here are some suggestions for making strong family connections and co creating meaningful moments together:
The 7-7-7 Rule: Spend 7 minutes in the morning, 7 minutes after work, and 7 minutes before bed in a dedicated, uninterrupted connection with your children or as a family.
Small Gestures: Send a "thinking of you” text, meaningful meme, or make a surprise phone call to express gratitude.
Quality over Quantity: Putting your phone down and engaging on all levels of attention will create stronger, more lasting bonds.
Joint Activity: Find something that you and your child can both enjoy to engage in together; a series, a video game, a comic book, a card game, a collection, etc.
Appreciating Yourself and Acknowledging Your Successes
Another important component of enjoying family time is celebrating yourself and your parenting successes. This self-care and self-appreciation can boost your spirits and allow you to be more fully present with your children.Your parenting successes can be as minor as ‘I packed enough diapers in the bag today’, ‘We followed a bedtime routine’, ‘I did my best today in a difficult circumstance’ or ‘my teenager talked to me.’ Celebrating the little things is an important part of acknowledging the challenging work of parenting. Rewarding yourself by learning or enjoying a new hobby, or taking a night off to engage in a non-parenting related activity can be very renewing.
Parenting is hard work, but what can make it even more difficult is our own negative self-talk. If you are someone that is meaner to yourself than you would ever be to anyone else, know that you don’t deserve this scrutiny! Parenting is hard work for everyone and it’s very common to feel like you are not doing enough or not doing the right thing. Please reach out to friends, family and community who can help you see yourself in a more forgiving and compassionate light.
And if you’re finding it hard to let that positive reinforcement in, therapy can be a wonderful resource for helping you develop a kinder self-image. When you develop the habit of supporting and appreciating yourself more, you feel more resilient through the hard moments. This changes everything for you and your family. The days may be long but the years really are short. Take the first step to making the most out of them by finding ways to nurture your connection with yourself, and in turn, with your family.
As a reminder here are some important dates for celebrating parenting worldwide:
Mother’s Day in the US: The second Sunday in May. Sun, May 10, 2026
Father’s Day in the US-:The third Sunday in June. Sun, June 21, 2026
Global Day of Parents: Annually on June 1st to honor parents worldwide
National Parent’s Day: The fourth Sunday in July to appreciate parents for their nurturing and protection. Sun, July 26th, 2026
If you care about Mental Health, please consider donating to our nonprofit, which pays for someone else’s therapy who cannot afford it. Donate here.
