Happy Monday,

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Last week, my in-laws were here to help take care of their granddaughter while my wife was recovering from having her wisdom teeth taken out. Our daughter loves hanging out with her grandma (who looks a lot like my wife), but she was pretty skeptical of her grandpa. Have any of you experienced stranger danger with grandparents that don’t live nearby?

In the meantime, have a happy Halloween everyone!

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One Big Idea

The Unnoticed Milestones of Parenthood

As we religiously chart and celebrate each of our children's developmental milestones, we too often overlook our own significant achievements as parents. These milestones, while less heralded, are equally transformative. The transition from sleepless nights spent glued to a baby monitor, listening to every sigh and rustle, to confidently embracing the silence, trusting in our children's newfound autonomy, marks a profound shift. We evolve from guardians of our infants' every breath to overseers of their independent exploration, from the nerve-wracking first shower with a free-ranging toddler to an almost leisurely rinse, door closed, as they engage in play or become engrossed in an episode of 'Paw Patrol'. These unspoken victories signal our growth in parallel with our children, charting a course from constant anxiety to a balanced confidence in both their abilities and our own.

The relinquishing of the diaper bag, once a symbol of preparedness, now a relic of a past phase, signifies another uncelebrated parental victory. It is in these seemingly mundane moments—realizing the diaper bag is no longer needed, watching our kids pedal away on their bikes for the first time—that we experience the bittersweet recognition of time passing away. These are the moments that underscore the dual journey of parent and child, where every new independence marks an equally significant parental rite of passage. These are the milestones that deserve their own celebrations, their own quiet acknowledgments of the challenges surmounted and the stages successfully navigated.

Trending Stories & Insights

• We’re already nearing the end of October, which the National Institute of Health recognizes as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) awareness month. Here’s a toolkit to help encourage safe infant sleep and help raise awareness about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS

• This TED talk featuring clinical psychologist and parenting expert, Dr. Becky Kennedy offers advice to help parents manage the guilt and shame of their not-so-great moments. In it, she also models the types of conversations you can have to be a better parent. It’s only 14 minutes and definitely worth a watch

• On a recent episode of her podcast, Rachel Bilson spoke up about her past history with pregnancy loss. Miscarriage is a common event which is estimated to occur in approximately one in four confirmed pregnancies, yet they remain hard to talk about. Breaking from this, the actress shared that “it’s one of the biggest things I talk about with pregnancy and having babies.”

Tip of the Day

• Parenting experts say that kids with high emotional intelligence learn these 4 skills when they're young

Here’s a dad joke

Once I read a book about glue

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer!

Time(out) for Memes