As awesome and necessary as it is, growing kids up, sometimes it’s mind-bendingly hard to watch a kid do something on their own.

It can be hard because it’s eye-twitchingly frustrating, from a time consuming standpoint, and from an ARE EVEN YOU KIDDING ME standpoint, as they turn their jacket inside out or something in the attempt zip it up themselves. Huh? Tying their shoe laces, buckling themselves into their car seat, wrapping a present, pouring their own milk (and the floor’s milk apparently). Yeeeeaaah. You get the idea.

It can also be really difficult to witness “by myself” moments from a more pants-sh*tting place; watching them climb a tree, chop vegetables or skateboard unassisted… yikes.

It can also be pretty heart stabby, because… they’re growing up! You’re filled with pride, but there’s also the hollowness of a place in you that they no longer occupy. They don’t need you to [insert anything] anymore.

It’s all part of parenting, but it can be one of the hardest parts. Our job as parents is to make ourselves as unnecessary as possible.

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Because laughter really is the best way to keep your kids from driving you insane.