Look, we’re all trying our best. Some days, that’s good enough. Everyone is happy and life feels right and amazing.
Other days we’re exhausted and it’s honestly enough if the entire family makes it through safe and fed – happy and together can wait for another day.
I’m thinking the mom in this TikTok video must have been having one of the latter sort of experiences when she chose a funny t-shirt for her toddler daughter from the closet. A gift from a friend, it read “Sasshole,” because her daughter Emma was infamous for her attitude.
Her mother, Paige Ward of Oklahoma, had just finished a 60-hour work week, was struggling with the pandemic (as so many of us are), and didn’t even really notice what shirt she had put on Emma that morning.
Then, her daughter came home with their school pictures.
The lettering on the shirt was cut off, and proclaimed her daughter “A$shole” for all eternity.
In the end, Paige decided there was nothing to do but laugh.
https://www.tiktok.com/@paigepuhlease/video/6895072143395015942?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.comicsands.com%2Fmom-toddler-picture-day-sasshole-2648960866.html&referer_video_id=6895072143395015942
Other parents on TikTok definitely agreed with her, too, pointing out that her daughter was probably about to become a meme.
And saying they hoped she’d ordered a whole packet of prints.
They pointed out that perhaps this wasn’t a fail at all, but a win.
Everything in life is about perspective, and that goes double (or triple) for parenting.
I say laugh, keep the prints to put in her high school yearbook, and move on.
We all have more important stuff to worry about, don’t you think?