Forts And Tunnels

I’m no parenting expert. I’m trying to figure it out as I go, much like everyone else.

Being a dad is great but hard. Kids are feral. They’re entire existence is self absorbed. They simply don’t have the capacity to understand that there are other people in the world.

All of their metabolic intake is 100% designated to figuring out how to get what they want. Kids are worthy adversaries.

It’s easy to accept this logically. All parents can acknowledge the infuriating things a 2 1/2 year old does and say to themselves “he doesn’t know any better, he’s just a kid.”

Yeah … I understand it. But it’s a different thing entirely to feel it.

The last two days have been difficult as a parent. They just wont stop screaming. I don’t know what it is about the screaming that is so triggering. It’s incredibly stressful from a physiological standpoint. Your heart rate and your nerves get shot out.

No one’s dying. No one is hurt. Everything is great. But the screaming really makes your body feel like something is terribly wrong. It’s frazzling. Depending on your natural fight or flight reactions, it can go a lot of ways.

For me, I just want to sit alone and be quiet. I’m working on better coping skills.

Okay, now for the fun part.

Today, the kiddos we’re screaming again. The Little Man is in a real phase where everything is 1000X dramatic.

Somehow, Jules and I were on the same wavelength. Without discussing it, Jules made the blanket fort and I broke down and taped up a giant box into a tunnel.

Instantly, the kiddos were blissful. They were laughing, they were playing, and we were all having a great time. I reminded myself to stay present, because someday sooner than I realize, they won’t want to climb through tunnels with me anymore.

It was great. I’m grateful. I’m so happy they stopped screaming.