At 3am in the bedroom, the phone screen lit up and dimmed a bit. This was not an emergency notification from the work group, but a signal for the baby to turn over and whimper. Mom/Dad reflexively sat up and lightly rinsed the milk powder, as if they had practiced it a thousand times.

This is not an exception on a certain day, it is a daily routine for mothers and fathers of millions of treasures. If "career" is difficult and easy to rank, then "mom" and "dad" must be firmly at the top of the list - there are no job postings, no salary or compensation, no statutory holidays, and even "off work" is a luxury, but they have to be on standby 24 hours a day, engraving "omnipotence" into every minute of life. Their time is never their own. Baoma's breakfast is always "what's left of the baby": after feeding the baby's complementary food first, her Congee will be cold; When going to the bathroom, you should hold the child in your arms, and when taking a shower, you should listen with your ears up to see what the child is doing, afraid that the child will cry or something. Leaving the house, the bag always contains diapers, wet wipes, change of clothes, water bottles, and more, which are heavier than a briefcase at work. She used to be a girl who loved to dress up, but now pajamas have become a regular wear, and cosmetics have accumulated dust in drawers. It's not that she doesn't love beauty, but that she saves 10 minutes of skincare for household chores after sleeping. Dad's "overtime" never ends: he works at the company to meet customer needs during the day, and at night he transforms into a "human cradle" when he comes home, pacing the living room with his crying child; On weekends, I want to catch up on sleep, but I have to spend time with my child reading picture books, playing with building blocks, and even have to hide on the balcony and keep my voice down during phone calls with my brothers. Many young men who used to love staying up late playing games now have countless alarms set on their phones, but none of them are for their own hobbies.

The "job responsibilities" of the profession of "mom and dad" are so diverse that they are countless. Being the "exclusive driver" for children after going to school: picking them up and dropping them off on time every day, rain or shine, always keeping motion sickness medicine, umbrellas, and snacks in the car; She is the "omnipotent butler" at home: the mother cooks while coaxing her child, and even if oil splashes on her hands, she doesn't have time to wipe it off; Dad spent weekends repairing toys and setting up desks. Despite being a "clumsy person," he learned various skills for his children. Even more difficult, they have to find a balance between their 'parents' and themselves. Baoma wants to return to the workplace, but she has to be asked during an interview, 'Can I take care of my child?'; Dad wants to spend more time with his family, but he is forced to work overtime by reality - not because he doesn't want to be himself, but because after becoming a parent, the "needs of the child" always come first.

The most frustrating thing is that they never easily express their grievances. After the child finally falls asleep, the mother will look in the mirror at the dark circles under her eyes and still make breakfast for the child with a smile the next day; Dad would hide in the hallway, smoke a cigarette, take a deep breath, and then walk into the house with a smile when he was annoyed by his child's crying and fussing. They are not superheroes, they just swallow 'tiredness' into their stomachs and put' strength 'on their faces for the sake of their children.  

We always say 'being a mother makes us strong' and 'being a father makes us strong', but behind this' strength 'and' strength 'are countless sleepless nights, countless interrupted meals, showers, and work, and countless silent persistence after sacrificing ourselves. They have no earth shattering achievements, but in the trivialities of daily necessities, they have written 'love' in the most touching form.

I want to say to all moms and dads: You've really worked hard. Those early morning feedings, early morning breakfasts, late night lullabies, fragmented time, shelved hobbies, and hidden exhaustion are never 'taken for granted', but rather your wholehearted efforts. You may occasionally collapse and secretly envy others' "ease", but please remember: what you are doing is the greatest thing in the world - using your own time and energy to lift up a small life and accompany it to grow up slowly.

Salute to every mom and dad who rush around in time, and may you be treated gently: someone will lend a helping hand, someone will understand how difficult it is for you, and there will be moments when you can let go of all your "responsibilities", sleep well, and be yourself; After experiencing it, perhaps I will still be grateful to my parents, feel their difficulties, and cherish them even more.

This article is just my personal sudden thought. The viewpoint expressed in the article is that I genuinely feel that parents are not easy. If you like my articles, like and collect them. Remember to follow me.