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The Hard Part

Amil Niazi’s monthly meditations on the highs and lows of parenting — and every feeling in-between.

parenting

No Crap for Christmas

 I’ve learned the hard way that less is actually more when it comes to gifting for the kids.

More From ‘The Hard Part’

  1. Finding Hope in HopelessnessWhen I look down at my daughter’s hand reaching for mine, I know it’s what is propelling me forward. It has to.
  2. How Dare You Blame Parents for Pandemic Kids Being ‘Behind’Now that 2020 babies are school-age but apparently not school-ready, parents are being scapegoated. Have you been paying any goddamned attention?
  3. How an Exhausting, Stressful Summer Trip Helped My Shy Kid Come Out of His ShellTrust me: All that travel chaos is worth it.
  4. Summer Child Care Is a Special Kind of HellThoughts and prayers to any parents who didn’t make camp plans in February. Also the parents who did.
  5. I Don’t Want to Stop Sharing My Family on InstagramMaybe I’m deluding myself about the many dangers around posting children online. Maybe the joy and connection it brings are just worth the risk.
  6. I Don’t Need Your Opinion on My Kid’s Screen TimeTalking about how you’ll parent someday is one thing. Surviving a kid’s tantrum so bad you question every choice you’ve ever made is another.
  7. How to Survive the ‘Fourth Trimester’The weeks that follow birth are more brutal than you could ever imagine — especially if you don’t know what to expect.
  8. How I Went From One Kid to Two Without Losing My MindAnd answers to other questions — including how I’ve road-tripped with a newborn and a toddler without losing my mind — from “The Hard Part” readers.
  9. Sick As a MomBouncing between months of illnesses and bedrest, I could no longer hide my body’s own limits from my kids. We all feel a lot better now.
  10. What You Actually ‘Need’ to Have a Kid, and What You Don’tThe decision to become a parent shouldn’t hinge on how much new stuff you can afford to buy.
  11. TikTok’s Version of Parenting Is a Nightmare FantasyHaving a baby isn’t easy, but it’s far from the hellscape I can’t stop watching on my FYP.
  12. Talking to My Kids About the UnbearableWhen cruelty is inescapable, what are we supposed to tell our children?
  13. Having a Kid at the End of the WorldIn the face of bleak climate future, is it okay to want a baby in the present?
  14. There’s No Such Thing as a Vacation with Young KidsA relaxing getaway may no longer be in the cards — but giving in to the chaos can be just as exquisite.
  15. Leave That Screaming Kid AloneThe summer travel season has become complain-about-other-people’s-kids season. If not even children can take up space without reproach, who can?
  16. Facing Infertility With My KidsThe IVF process is a lonely one. I refuse to let it be this time around for the sake of my two children.
  17. Are You a Silky Mom, a Crunchy Mom, or a Scrunchie Mom?Parenting, according to TikTok.
  18. Gentle Parenting Is Too GentleAnd brutal as hell for us parents.
  19. What We Never Say About ParentingIt’s good, actually.
  20. There Is No Break Coming for Parents — EverNew year, same shit.
  21. Holiday Traditions Are Cheesy and Exhausting and Totally Worth ItYour future adult kids will thank you.
  22. Finding Joy for My Kids in the ApocalypseEven when I want to scream into the abyss until my voice runs out.
  23. The Cool-Mom MythIs the default, the “Regular Mom,” that inherently undesirable, unlikable, and unappealing?
  24. The Dread of Watching Your Kid Start SchoolAs my son heads into kindergarten, I’m plagued by my own painful memories.
  25. The Unbearable Heaviness of Being an ‘Old Mom’At 39, every physical ache, every existential spiral, every scroll past young momfluencer content makes me obsess over the time left.
  26. When the Choice to Grow Your Family Isn’t Actually YoursYou’d think the forces that fought Roe would tackle infertility next, but you’d be wrong.
  27. When Dads Do What Moms DoTo share the burden of parenting, you have to actually share it.
  28. Being a ‘Mom’ Isn’t What It Used to BeThe label was always flawed. The pandemic shattered it beyond repair.