20. The Unexpected Joys of Parenthood (Yes, They Exist!)

In this week’s episode of Caffeinated Chaos, Whitney flips the script on the common narrative of parenthood being all struggles and sleepless nights. Instead, she dives into the unexpected joys of parenting—those sweet, funny, and magical moments that make it all worth it. From watching a baby take their first awkward crawl to the joy of seeing your toddler’s quirky mispronunciations, this episode reminds us to pause, appreciate, and cherish the little things. Whitney shares practical tips on how to stay present, savor the sweet moments, and shift your mindset to see the beauty amidst the chaos.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How to embrace the unexpected joys of parenthood, even during chaotic times
• Practical ways to savor those sweet moments that can easily be missed in the hustle
• Tips on creating “mental snapshots” to help you remember the small, joyful moments
• The importance of verbalizing joy and love with your family, no matter how small the moment
• How journaling and reflecting on these joyful moments can build a positive mindset

Quotes from This Episode:

• “Parenthood isn’t just about the sleepless nights. It’s about those unexpected moments that make your heart explode with love.”
• “Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that make the biggest impact. A silly word or a big sister giggle—those are the moments we should hold on to.”
• “Parenting is chaotic, yes—but there’s magic in it if we take the time to notice it.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Sip and Share Segment: Submit your funny, chaotic, or joyful parenting stories for a chance to be featured in an upcoming episode!
• Journal Prompt: Write down one unexpected joyful moment from today and share it with a friend or family member.

Got your own moments of joy you want to share? Send them to Whitney via DM on social media or submit them for the Sip and Share segment!

If this episode made you smile or helped you appreciate the magic in your own parenting journey, share it with another parent who might need a reminder of the joys of raising little ones. Also, don’t forget to rate and review the podcast—it helps more parents find the encouragement they need!

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Cheers! Thank you for joining us for another episode. Have a chaotic moment, question, or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message or leave a review! If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who thrives in beautiful chaos too.

Let’s Connect:

• Connect with us via email at ccpodcast@aguonstudios.com
• Follow us on Instagram: @caffeinatedchaospodcast
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• Sip and Share: Click here to submit

Resources:

• Goal-Setting Template
• Podcasters Monthly Networking Meets
• Balancing Business Growth and Parenthood Workbook

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Transcript

0:35

Welcome back to Caffeinated Chaos, friends. And today we are flipping the script. Instead of dwelling on sleepless nights, sticky fingers, and the sheer chaos that comes with raising tiny humans, we are going to celebrate moments that make it all worth it today. The unexpected giggles, the way your kiddo says a word that is completely wrong. But you kind of never want to correct them because it's just too darn cute and the indescribable feeling of watching them become their own person. Okay, if I'm being honest, I went into motherhood expecting the hardest job of my life. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be a mom and yes, it is hard. No one prepared me for how much I would actually genuinely love my children, though. Like, I, I would die for my children. It's a full body, like, heart exploding, can't believe this is kind of my life moment when all these little things happen together and I am in such a cute phase with my children right now because my toddler And, my newborn is now almost six months and she is just, you know, developing her personality and learning to crawl and smiling more and interacting more. And so my toddler is completely enamored by her. She goes around and she goes, I'm her big sister. I'm her big sister. We're going to play together. They're playing together is literally just my toddler jumping up and down While the baby laughs and it's the cutest darn thing in the world and I think when people talk about how hard parenthood is, part of the problem is that we're so conditioned to focus on the struggles, like, yes, sleepless nights. Yes, we know all that stuff is going to happen. And it's weird because society likes to remind us about how exhausting parenthood is. I mean, during the pregnancy alone, people were like, Get your sleep now because you're not gonna have it later. And yes, true, but there are so many other things going on too. It's not all about the struggle. It's about embracing things that are also true, that are positive. You know? The struggle is not the whole truth. Okay. So, my, my toddler, she has some words that she tries to pronounce, and they are a little wrong. There also are words that she takes from like, Bluey and Bingo, where it's like, they don't make any sense, but I know it's from the show, um, but when she's trying to say actual words and she gets them wrong. Like, part of me is like, ugh, it's so darn cute and also I should correct her, but I'll just say it once and then, like, move on because it's just so darn cute. Also let's talk about how they have zero concept of personal space. I mean, just between now, the two girls, and kudos to you if you have more than two. Um, but just me with my two girls, I feel like I'm always in the middle of a baby sandwich. They are all up on me, literally like, pressed against my face when I'm just like trying to eat. And they're like, what are you doing? What are you eating? What is that? What is And I was like It's chicken rice, you want some? It's the same thing in your bowl, but it's different when it comes from mommy's bowl, I know. And, I mean, it's just one of those things where it's like, it's non stop, it is a little, you know, chaotic sometimes when you're trying to get things done. But also, so darn cute because I know that they will eventually grow out of this phase and want absolutely nothing to do with me. So how do we shift our mindset and actually lean into these joyful moments? Because, you know, I like to be honest, in the middle of tantrums, and you know, when you're sleep deprived, it's easy to miss them. So, you know me, I love some actionable steps. So here are some things that we've been trying to do in our household that you can also adopt if it works for you. So one is just taking a moment and pausing and taking mental snapshots, like literally stop and think, I want to remember this moment forever. Even if it's something tiny, just take a breather, enjoy the moment and take a mental snapshot. The other day, I literally stared at my baby for like 10 minutes while she moved, I don't know, like a foot. But she was trying her best to crawl, and it was more kind of like a really awkward wiggle. And like, her doing the worm. But, I know that this is the last time I'm going to watch a baby take their first crawling steps. And so, I sat there, and I watched it for ten minutes, uninterrupted, just staring at her. Slowly inching across the floor, and it was, let me tell you, very peaceful, very relaxing, and something I will always remember. Okay? Two, I want you to say it out loud. Instead of thinking in your mind, Wow, this is such a cute moment! I mean Tell your kid how much you love their goofy laugh. your partner about how your baby's snuggles make you feel. Or, you know, if you watch your baby for like ten minutes, crawl one foot across the floor. Just tell it. Verbalizing the joy makes it more real, and you get to relive that moment when you retell the story. Three. Keep a journal. It's not a fancy one. Like, it can just be one of those spiral notebooks you get from, I don't know, an office supply store. Or Target, or you know, wherever you go to shop. It can just be a quick note on your phone, too. You know, just somewhere where you can jot down these little memories that make you smile, and it will be really nice. And I know some people are like, okay, I just take a photo or I take video and that also is okay. But there's something about the written word that I've always loved. So having kind of a journal, where you can express more of how you're currently feeling in the moment instead of just visually what you see. So I enjoy that. Okay. We know that parenthood is hard, alright? I just wanted to take a quick moment and have a really short episode to remind you that there are unexpected joys of parenthood and they are so, so, so good, alright? It's time that we start talking about both sides, both the struggle, the hardships, but also the really fun and exciting and loving parts of parenthood too. Because, yes. We get it. We're all sleep deprived zombies half the time. We're drinking our fifth cup of coffee, and it's probably cold. But, you know what? We're witnessing these incredible humans grow and develop, and that is so magical. So, what's a moment of unexpected joy that you've had? I would really love to hear them. Share me your stories. You can do it a bunch of different ways. You can DM me on social media. You can comment on the podcast Or, on one of our stories or anything. You can even submit your story to be shared for our next Sip and Share segment. So just remember that that's a segment where you can share your chaotic story, something that you love, something that was hard. You can be anonymous or you can leave your name. You can also leave advice for other people going through the things that you are going through. Okay? Alright, moms and dads out there, go hug your little tiny human, or your big human if you have like a teenager or an adult child, and soak up some magic today. If this episode made you smile, share it with another parent who needs a reminder that they are doing an amazing job. Alright, I just want to take a few quick moments out of this week and let you know that You are doing an amazing job. I will see you all next time. Until then, keep sipping that coffee, embrace the chaos, but also remember there's so much magic in watching your family grow. All right. I love you all. I will see you next time. Have a good one. Bye bye.