Parenting is hard, there are sleepless nights, screaming tantrums and endless worries. But there are some other parts of parenting that will truly grind your gears.
1. The Art of Acting Interested
Kids are literally the worst story tellers on the planet. When a kid launches into a story, you know you’re in for a suboptimal retelling of an extraordinarily mundane event, i.e. it’s gonna be shit.
Don’t get me wrong, kids slay with their one-liners. Stand up comedians wish they could craft a one-liner like a four year old. Unfortunately things start to unravel by the second or third sentence. By the time they’ve been going for a few minutes, things are a goddamn mess.
Mate, where’s the structure? Is there even a plot? Who are the players here? Is this even real life or did you make this shit up? Do you even know the difference? WHEN WILL IT END!?
Absolutely no sane person wants to endure it, but as a parent you are obliged to feign interest because ignoring them will make them feel rejected and unimportant and they’ll grow into an adult who’s so desperate for attention and approval they’ll end up becoming a local politician. And nobody wants that.