News

Today We Were Late

Today, we were late. The kids were late for school. I was late for work. The house was messy, and it stayed messy.

But it didn’t matter. Not today.

This morning, instead of the usual rush—grabbing backpacks, packing lunches, yelling for everyone to put their shoes on—something shifted. Instead of commanding the chaos, we paused. I put music on. And in the middle of our usual hurried mess, we danced. Right there in the kitchen, with mismatched socks and uncombed hair, we let the moment take over.

We laughed hard it hurt. My 13-year-old spun his 8-year-old brother around until they both collapsed onto the floor in giggles. I joined them, dancing, laughing, my heart swelling in a way it hasn’t for a while.

For those few minutes, there wasn’t a single thought about deadlines or school bells or cluttered countertops. There was just us.

The Importance of Connection

As parents, we’re taught to keep everything on track—keep the schedule, meet expectations, tick off the to-do list. But in doing so, we often forget the why behind it all: connection. Those fleeting moments of joy and togetherness are what our kids will remember, not whether they arrived at school on time or if their lunchbox had perfectly cut sandwiches.

Taking a breath, choosing connection over perfection, is something I realised I need to embrace more often.

The world will keep spinning if we’re five minutes late. What won’t wait are these little chances to bond, to soak up the magic of now.

A Netflix Reality Check

Like many of you, I recently watched Adolescence on Netflix. It hit me like a truck. I had to watch it twice. I read the reviews, I followed the advice, I researched more.

Seeing the struggles, the insecurities, and the pressure teenagers face these days was eye-opening. As a parent to a 13-year-old and an 8-year-old, it made me stop and reevaluate. Am I doing enough to make them feel seen? Supported? Loved in all the ways that matter?

This realisation anchored me to what’s truly important.

There were so many messages that came out of the series. One prevalent to me was that our kids don’t need perfect parents. They don’t need us to have all the answers or keep everything spotless. What they need is our presence—undistracted, messy, human presence. They need mornings like today, where instead of yelling to hurry, we choose to dance.

And We’ll Be Late Again

I’ve decided: we’ll be late again. Not every day, of course—life needs structure, after all—but sometimes. On the days it really matters, we’ll turn up the music, let the mess sit for a while, and just be. Because this time with them, it’s so, so fleeting.

To every parent reading this, let’s give ourselves permission to let go every now and then.

Be late. Be imperfect. Be present. Because those are the moments that will truly define our story, and theirs.