The Hidden Superpower of Parenting: Damage Control

One skill—and mindset—you naturally develop while raising a child is this: no matter the mess, you can handle it. Even if food gets scattered everywhere, cereal covers the entire living room, or dish soap is poured and smeared all over the floor, it can all be cleaned up. Things that used to make me anxious—what if it spills, what if it gets messy—don’t bother me like they used to. I’ve grown more lenient. Sometimes I just say, “Sure, go ahead. I’ll clean it up later.” It comes from a mix of love and a sense of responsibility. What else can I do? It’s up to me to take care of it.

Yesterday, Liam—who finds it nearly impossible to stay still—was quietly watching TV in a chair. Suddenly, he called out for help. I found him stuck in the chair. At first, I wasn’t too worried. If he got in, he should be able to get out, right? But nope—it wasn’t that simple. I called my husband. We tried taking Liam into the shower and lathering him up with soap to slip him out, but even that didn’t work. In the end, we brought out a saw. I held Liam still while my husband sawed through the metal. After a long struggle, he was finally free. Looking back, it was a funny little adventure. Liam, you really do turn your mom and dad into Superman and Wonder Woman—bold and ready to handle anything.

I've been thinking—what if I applied this mindset not just to parenting, but to other areas of life too? Instead of panicking with “What if it goes wrong?” or giving up with “I can’t do this,” I could say, “No matter what happens, I can handle it—in some way, at some time, by some method.” With a heart that refuses to give up and is willing to take full responsibility, is there really anything I can't manage?

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