Parenting early teens is it's own animal.

Like all phases, there are ups and downs... lately I've felt a lot of the downs - especially with my daughter - who is very temperamental and clashes with me 99.9% of the time on anything and everything. Heck, lately she's been clashing with everyone about a good 90% of the time and then acts confused as to why people are defensive or avoidant of her... and then she dips into these emotional crashes that land in depression.

(Before it is a comment - we do have her in therapy, very much against her wishes - she thinks the problem is everyone else from her teacher to her friends and the rest of the family... so she's got it but the therapist schedule is so packed we're lucky to get her in once every-other month right now... which arguably is NOT enough. She met about two weeks back and her next appointment is mid-January.)

So anyway - we were out to lunch with my in-laws yesterday and somehow our weekday morning routines came up. Every morning without fail I will make my daughter a breakfast sandwich before she has to get out the door. I also make sure she and her brother both have some kind of silly drawing with a joke, quote or just motivational saying on it for their lunch boxes. I've done that since they were in Kindergarten and now they're in Jr. High. So my MIL heard this and her response was something like "Aww... now that's a good dad."

I tell you. I'm not a super emotional guy. That really hit me though. I didn't get misty or anything but here I am the next morning and as I logged in for work after making my daughter's morning sandwich it came back to me. I've always gotten along with my in-laws pretty well (somewhat better than my actual parents in some ways) but it just sort of blindsided me in a day when literally before the meal for hours it was just nonstop bickering and navigating drama with my daughter.

It's the little things sometimes, I guess. I appreciate having people "outside" the four walls of this house to give perspective sometimes.

That's all. Just wanted to share some positivity in light of the recent trend of more frustrating/downtrodden topics we've been milling through recently. Have a great week - and for anyone who needs to hear it: "You're a good dad."