Former Elementary Teacher Reveals The Most Regretful Mistake She Witnessed Parents Make With Their Kids
Sometimes, you have to bring it back to basics.
ANNA GRANT | Shutterstock In a TikTok video, Elena Nicolaou, senior editor for "The Today Show," asked her mom, a retired public school teacher, to share the most significant parenting mistake she had seen throughout her career. Her response was both surprising and saddening.
As it turns out, when parents get swept up in the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to forget the simple joys of childhood.
A former teacher revealed the most regretful mistake she witnessed parents make with their kids.
"Mom, you were an elementary school teacher. What's one thing that you saw people messing up with their kids?" Nicolaou asked her mom in her TikTok video. In response, her mom bluntly stated that she noticed a lot of parents didn't actually take the time to enjoy their kids.
The former public school teacher explained that kids are fun and that having kids means that you're allowing a new facet of joy into your life. They're constantly curious and full of wonder. However, parents often seem to forget, or at least do not make the time to appreciate all of the wonderful and amazing things that come from being able to spend time with their kids.
The former teacher said most parents forget to enjoy and have fun with their kids.
"You’ve got to enjoy them. They wanted them to be something that — most of us aren’t exactly what other people want us to be — so enjoy the kid you have," Nicolaou's mom continued. "When I was teaching in a different school, we had a lot of famous people, and there was one very famous parent who, unfortunately, is still involved in politics."
Nicolaou's mom recalled that this parent, at the time, was working as a doctor and was incredibly strict about what his kids were and weren't allowed to eat. She claimed that apart from parents not enjoying their kids, it's also a point of concern when parents dictate the diet of their kids and send them to school with snacks, such as carrots, as this famous parent did.
In the comments section, many parents agreed with Nicolaou's mom's assessment of how parents interact with their kids. In contrast, others pointed out that they were aware of how much they're missing out on when it comes to being involved with their kids and actually enjoying them.
Unfortunately, many parents today are hanging on by a thread, and when it comes to simple pleasure in life, they often fall by the wayside. Between the cost of childcare and having to juggle a full-time job, some parents acknowledge that it's often hard to find that balance.
Parental stress and burnout have risen to an all-time high.
In August 2024, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory stating that parents in the United States are overwhelmed and burned out by the "dizzying pace" of the world, which is a public health concern. The advisory detailed how mothers and fathers now work many more hours than they did in 1985, but they also spend many more hours every week on primary child care — and that doesn’t factor into their total time spent with children.
Yan Krukau | Canva Pro
At the same time, a "culture of comparison" — often perpetuated online — around milestones, parenting, and achievements "has left many families feeling exhausted, burned out, and perpetually behind," Murthy wrote in the 36-page advisory. The advisory cited a 2023 survey of adults from the American Psychological Association that found 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared with 20% of other adults.
Parents simply can't seem to find the time in between work and basic responsibilities to do anything else, let alone enjoy the simple joys of engaging with their kids. While that doesn't account for all parents, especially the famous and wealthy ones that Nicolaou's mom referred to at one of the schools she taught at, it's still not an excuse for parents to neglect spending quality time with their kids. It does, however, offer an explanation for those who physically and/or mentally can't.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.