Evening Primrose: A Gentle Rhythm for Parenting with Presence

Some nights remind me: it doesn’t have to be heavy.

Tonight, I slowed down.
I didn’t rush to be the “good parent.”
I just was. And that was enough.

Here’s the rhythm I want to carry with me — a simple pattern that leaves space for both of us to feel held.

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🌼 Evening Primrose Routine

1. After Pickup: Let Us Both Land

• Talk in the car, but don’t rush the vibe.
• No immediate switch into “task mode.”
• Maybe a sofa sit. Maybe a silly snack.
  → “Let’s just arrive together.”

2. Choose Connection First

• PlayStation, a quick game, a laugh.
• Something small that says: “I’m here with you.”
  → Let warmth come before work.

3. Meal Prep without Pressure

• He’s okay. He’s not demanding.
• The pressure comes from me — from a performative script I didn’t choose.
  → I don’t need to earn being a good dad. I already am.

4. Let Him Be Free, Let Me Breathe

• He plays online.
• I take time for myself in the back room.
  → I’m not abandoning him. I’m resourcing myself.

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🌿 A Thought to Hold

“Presence doesn’t mean performance.
It means being real,
And staying with myself
While I stay with him.”

If I forget this rhythm, I can return to it.
If I lose myself for a moment, I can begin again.
He doesn’t need a perfect dad — just a real one.

And tonight, I remembered how to be both.