Tamagotchi.
I’m blessed to have the opportunity to drop my daughters off at school in the mornings. During our morning drives we typically talk, listen to music or sit in silence because they’re upset about something I forced them to do—kids, IYKYK.
This morning in the middle of a conversation my youngest daughter screams “noooooooooooo”, from the back seat. In true overly dramatic fashion she says, “I forgot to send my Tamagotchi to the sitter and now its going to die because no one will be taking care of it”. For those of you that grew up in my era, yes this is the same Tamagotchi toy that our sisters played with in the 90’s—apparently they’re still a thing.
In that moment, my #girldad instincts kicked in and I said, “don’t worry about it sweatheart, daddy will take care of it”. My oldest daughter chimed in, “dad, just text me and I will walk you through it”. She quickly followed up with another text as soon as she got to school that said, “I can’t talk now…you can take care of it”. Wait a min., who’s the parent again?? 🤦🏿♂️
Between myself, my Sr. VP and both of our assistances we kept that Tamagotchi alive. We handed it off between meetings and made sure it was fed, played with, and cleaned up all day. Later, she was so surprised that I went through such great lengths to take care of it for her. She was so grateful.
So here’s what I learned:
My daughters have me wrapped around their fingers. This doesn’t mean that I don’t have boundaries when it comes to them. But, it’s very clear that there is very little I wouldn’t do for my babies.
Always keep your word. Think before you commit, because once you do it should only be death that keeps you from making it happen.
Prioritize what you value most. Often times we say that we value our families most. However, when it comes time to prioritize their needs, we often put other things before them. The key is finding alignment between your priorities and the things you value.
You can take care of it. We drastically underestimate our own capabilities. You have far more capacity than you think. Most times it is simply a matter of mindset. If you think you can, you are correct.
Always remember, you can #CarryEverything.