Links on parenthood, writing for personal growth
Here are a couple posts I’ve enjoyed recently.
(1) Steven’s post, It's ok to sometimes feel miserable as a parent. Steven and I had a nice email exchange about this one and my sloppier treatment of the topic. I appreciate Steven’s post because, as a once-struggling parent, I think it’s important to normalize the struggle.
Anyone who says parenthood is 100% blessings and rainbows is full of shit. There is great, unique joy in parenthood. There is also suffering — unique and even existential — that comes in many flavors: regret, anxiety, self-doubt, guilt, shame, rumination. Some parents will have an easier time than others depending on lots of factors: their brain chemistry, their kids’ brain chemistries, their environment, etc. Any assumption that parenthood is supposed to feel a certain way for most people is false and damaging.
Steven’s title is the perfect TLDR: it’s okay to feel miserable as a parent. You will feel like a failure. Probably often. Dust yourself off and keep trying your best. Hopefully there’s some of that unique joy right around the corner.
(2) Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s newsletter post, Why Writing Is the Best Tool for Personal Growth. I signed up for Anne-Laure’s newsletter a couple months ago after seeing it recommended in several places. My fluffy-self-help radar was up, but it’s really quite good, IMHO. I’m looking forward to reading her book soon.
Cheers!