Nothing prepares you for being a parent — it’s an experience that’s amazing and rewarding and yes, even terrifying all in one! As I begin this journey, I’ve promised myself I would cherish every part of it: the laughs, the love, and especially all the likes it gets me on social media.
I know this time will go by fast. Soon my little Jaxon will develop a mind of his own and won’t want to spend as much time in my social media posts, with me jamming a camera into his face whenever he sits down for a meal. I’m grateful my sweet baby Jax doesn’t protest driving 90 minutes to check-in at the most popular park in our area, dressing up in a wool skunk costume in 80 degree heat, and holding a store-bought “I’M A LIL’ STINKER!!” sign. You don’t have to tell me I won’t be able to get away with any of this stuff when he’s a teenager; I’m well aware he’ll be super gangly and way less photogenic then.
In the meantime, I’m taking such pride in his achievements! Like the time he got 223 likes after I pushed his head into a $40 smash cake (see #JAXONBIRTHDAYLOL), or the 48 shares he got for perfectly reacting to his Christmas presents on just our second take. I’m especially treasuring all the firsts! The first time Jaxon saw fireworks, I just knew this moment would be popular enough to pop up again in my timeline 24 months from now. And of course I’ll never forget the video I made of his first steps — believe me, nothing is more rewarding than watching someone you didn’t get along with in middle school watch your child walk for the first time.
Don’t get me wrong: there are challenging parts to this whole parenthood thing, too. You’re often confronted with your limits, like when there’s nothing you can do to make your child do that cute thing again for a video. And sometimes being a parent is frustrating, like “Wow, only 20 likes for Jax’s first trip to the zoo? I posted it in prime hours!” You have to ask yourself hard questions like, “should I upload this video of my son as a story or to my feed directly?” Also there are times your child will get sick, which is tragic because days will go by before he looks good for a photo. No one tells you how hard all of this is — probably because if they did, no one would want to be a parent!
But none of the challenges can take away from the greatest gift parenthood has given me: the gift of purpose. Thanks to my child, each day I wake up knowing exactly what I need to do, and that’s create premium content. Parenthood has taught me that every moment as a parent is a new adventure in branding; and storytelling is not just something you do for your child before bed, it’s something you do 24/7 for your followers. I’d never claim to have it all figured out (I still wish I knew why other people didn’t enjoy our trip to the zoo), but I’m gaining confidence in my parenting with each passing social media post. So much so that I think I’m even ready to do it all again! I mean, could you imagine the likes that would roll in if Jaxon had another little brand to play with?