Congratulations parents! By default your mental toughness is being tested and measured daily. What a gift to have access to every day mental strength training. Included in this program (brought to you by your children) is the opportunity to be exhausted and overwhelmed, surprised by yet another unexpected turn of events, and dreaming of just have a few moments to yourself for a shower and a full thought.
Good news! You have a choice to embrace these challenges, to (and you’ll never believe it) enjoy them, and to even figure out how to anticipate and manage them! Mental toughness is not about being perfect so you can toss that idea out. It is however about showing up again despite the difficulty, the repetition, the stress, the anxiety, and owning your experience moment by moment. It’s about having an aim – that might just be to get to and through the bedtime routine- and aligning your actions to that aim. Don’t forget that those little people attempting to run you ragged are really on your team, they are just developing their mental strength too.
Life is hard most of the time. Being responsible for the lives of others compounds that difficulty.
You’ve accepted the challenge.
Eyes up.
Hearts open.
You can do this one step at a time.
Further Reading: Parenting in 2025: How to Navigate this Brave New World
