Get To > Have To

photo by Meredith Neal

Don’t you hate how in parenting it sometimes feels like the days are full of a million "have tos"?

Brush teeth, make dinner, wipe bum, clean spill, read stories, wipe tears.

Sometimes even the parts we love about parenting feel like “have tos”.

Play hide and seek, read stories, rub backs, stay calm, kiss goodnight.

One of my favourite reframes is changing all the “have tos” to “get tos”.

Same list.

“Get to” instead of “have to”.

Brush teeth, make dinner, wipe bum, clean spill, read stories, wipe tears, play hide and seek, read stories, rub backs, stay calm, kiss goodnight.

Their precious lives before me.

My one life to enjoy it.

Get to.