Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us. Put on the jersey of your favorite team and gather around the television with 97 appetizers and dips. Stuff yourself with multiple tiny foods instead of one actual meal. Yell at the television and high-five your friends. Watch a concert straight out of my college spring break and laugh at funny commercials. Hopefully you get to watch a few minutes of the Puppy Bowl as well.
As I was thinking about the Super Bowl, I thought of all the parallels it has to parenting. Why? I have no idea. My brain works in mysterious ways.
It takes a lot of preparation, but nothing compares to the real thing.
Parenting is not for the faint of heart. Prep all you want, but it will never come close to the real thing. I remember when we were preparing for Henry to make his grand entrance into the world 10 years ago, I made Logan go to those birthing classes with me at the hospital. The terror in his eyes was obvious as he watched the birth video and leafed through some of the material we would cover. It was like watching film before the Super Bowl… but way scarier.
You will be shocked by some of the events.
Expect the expected. Prepare yourself for something you could never dream up. I remember the first time I was completely taken by surprise by Henry. We were in the hospital after his birth, and I heard the loudest, manliest fart I have ever heard. I blamed Logan just to realize it was our child! Our rather hefty 10-pound baby let out another noise that rivaled that of my husband. Complete shock.
Lots of little treats are involved.
A Super Bowl party is full of life’s little indulgences. Nachos, queso, wings…My daily life is also full of little treats. I get the boys off to school without any yelling, I reward myself with an extra-large, caffeinated beverage. One of the boys made a good grade? They love little treats too.
We celebrate the wins.
I don’t care what type of win it is, we are celebrating. I want the boys to know that we are proud of them, and it makes them a little more excited when we celebrate.
You might be tired the next day.
The day after the Super Bowl can be a tough one. Sometimes there are headaches involved. You might even want to call in to work. The day after a rough day of parenting can feel the same. I have felt a parenting fatigue. I experience these after a day of meltdowns and tantrums.
Nothing else compares to the experience.
I have never been to the Super Bowl, but I can only imagine that it’s an amazing experience. Just like parenting. Nothing else has ever been harder, but more rewarding. I love those two little guys more than life itself.
I hope your team wins this year! Happy Super Bowl season! Go sports!
