Parenthood

I just finally got around to watching the latest episode of Parenthood. I remember loving the movie, the one from forever ago with Steve Martin in it, so I wasn't sure I would like the show. Shows that are expansions from great movies are sometimes so terrible. But to their credit, this adaptation has it's own soul, and I have loved it.

Well the last episode, like many before, made me tear up a little. So much in this show has touched me or really hit home now that I am a parent. There are just things everyone goes through when you are raising kids, things that are really hard! This time for me it was watching poor Crosby get told he was the meanest dad ever.

For those who don't know, the show revolves around one big family. 2 parents, 4 grown children, their spouses and children. Crosby is the youngest of the 4 kids and just met his son. At the beginning of the first season an ex shows up with a 5 year old boy. So we get to watch Crosby go through the growing pains of finding out he's a father and learning how to be a father all at the same time. It was painful to watch at times. But to the character (and writers) credit, he is learning fast and is usually a pretty good dad.

This particular episode his now fiance tells him he needs to stop trying to be his child's friend and be his parent. Which can be hard. I'm just starting to get to this point of parenting. There are starting to be times when I have to be hard on Wyatt and do things I know he is going to dislike because I know they are the right thing. Poor Crosby spent this whole episode trying to be the cool dad, which was pretty ineffective. So finally right at the end he stands his ground, cancels a trip to the zoo and has to experience his son saying "I hate you!" for the first time.

It's heartbreaking to know there is going to be a day when my sweet little boy looks me right in the eye and tells me he hates me and wishes I wasn't his mom. He's going to throw his toys and slam his door, he'll tell me he wants to go live with his dad or that he never wants to see me again. And I will just have to take it. It comes with the territory. He will get mad at me for trying to be the best mom I can be, for making hard decisions. But in the end I know he will understand. He will see as he gets older (and especially when he has kids of his own) that you do your best, you love your kids and hope you are doing the right thing.

I'm not looking forward to it, not even a little bit.