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Dec 29, 2022Liked by Jessica Wilen

Jessica, so many great nuggets in this week's newsletter. First, I love the advice about hanging out with parents of older children b/c they get it. That is so true. When you are a first time parent, you think your child is the first child ever to [insert questionable but age appropriate behavior here]. I recall being so embarrassed when my first went through a hitting phase. All of my friends with older kids were totally unfazed (and of course we worked on it, but I felt better knowing I wasn't the only one).

Second, I took a screenshot of the paragraph about thank you notes. I write them often, but am going to make it a goal in 2023 to write them even more often. This is also a reminder to me to send a note to the head of the lower school at my children's school specifically calling out why I love my daughter's teachers so much (recommended in this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/15/style/why-thank-you-notes.html).

Third, I love reflecting on why I work. Aside from needing/wanting to make money, like you I get a sense of competence. It also makes me a better and more patient parent because it is something I do for myself and I get some external validation that I am doing something well (unlike parenting, where I often feel as though I am failing and doing a disservice to my children).

Happy New Year and thanks for the thought-provoking read!

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Such a great point about the external validation, Darcy. Parenting is the ultimate long game—we so often second-guess if we’re making the right decision, if everything will turn out ok, and if we’re doing a “good job”. It’s so validating to get immediate feedback of a job well-done—and work provides that. Hoping 2023 is filled with all good things for you!

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