{"id":7535,"date":"2025-04-08T03:29:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T10:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7535"},"modified":"2025-08-18T15:54:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T22:54:54","slug":"eyes-on-the-back-of-my-head-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7535","title":{"rendered":"How a Simple Moment with My Youngest Reminds Me of Parenting Superpowers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recently, our family rewatched&nbsp;<em>The Avengers: Endgame<\/em>, and one of my favorite moments is when Iron Man is putting his daughter to bed, and she says, &#8220;I love you 3000.&#8221; This heartfelt phrase became a symbol of the deep bond between parent and child. It made me reflect on a moment with my youngest that still stands out in our relationship today. It\u2019s not just about love but about being seen\u2014feeling noticed, even when my back is turned or when I\u2019m not physically present. This concept has stayed with me, much like that powerful line from the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Laugh That Brings Us Closer: Parenting Moments with My Youngest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Parenting with humor<\/strong>&nbsp;has always been a part of our family dynamic. My youngest child has a gift for making me laugh\u2014whether it\u2019s with his sweet, curious view of the world as a kindergartener or his good-natured, quick-witted responses now that he\u2019s older. But there\u2019s one moment from when he was five that stands out\u2014a time when his innocent wonder left me both amused and touched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The &#8220;Superpower&#8221; Every Parent Knows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s something magical about a little one\u2019s astonishment when a parent knows exactly what they\u2019re up to, even with their back turned. This happened one evening when I made&nbsp;<strong>cookies for my kids<\/strong>. I had given my little one a couple of warm cookies and a frosty glass of milk. He happily dunked his cookies into the milk while playing with his cars. I had moved to another part of the room with my back to the kitchen when everything went quiet. That silence\u2014the kind of quiet every parent recognizes\u2014was deafening. The kind that signals something is happening, something that requires attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without turning around, I knew he was sneakily walking toward the plate of cookies on the counter, eyes fixed on me, hoping to grab a third cookie to finish off the milk in his glass. As the silence stretched, just as he was about to reach for a cookie, I calmly spoke, &#8220;I hope you\u2019re not grabbing another cookie.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was a brief moment of stunned silence. He paused, knowing he had been watching me the whole time, and yet, despite never turning around, I somehow knew exactly what he was doing. His sweet, 5-year-old voice, now filled with utter amazement, asked, \u201cHow did you know?\u201d Without skipping a beat, I said, &#8220;All Mommies have eyes on the back of their head.&#8221; He fell silent, processing the idea, and then went back to playing with his car, likely pondering how my &#8220;parent superpower&#8221; worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Eyes on the Back of My Head: A Parenting Superpower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few nights later, as he settled into bed, he started playing with my hair\u2014a familiar habit he\u2019s had since he was a baby. But this time, he gently maneuvered my hair around, almost as if trying to uncover something hidden. Concerned about tangles, I reached back to tickle his side to get him to stop and asked, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d With a thoughtful pause, he replied, \u201cI\u2019m trying to find the eyes on the back of your head! I can\u2019t see any!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I chuckled and, without missing a beat, said, \u201cThe eyes only appear when I need them. They\u2019re a parent superpower.\u201d He fell silent for a moment, needing time to process this new information. For a long time, I\u2019m sure he didn\u2019t know what to believe. A mom with eyes on the back of her head sounded pretty cool\u2014though a little crazy, too. Eventually, he dropped the subject, but now, as he approaches his teen years when the topic comes up, it\u2019s met with playful mockery. He still doesn\u2019t know how I knew, but he\u2019s pretty sure my \u201csecond set of eyes\u201d doesn\u2019t actually exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reflecting on how a simple moment with my youngest revealed the powerful, yet humorous, &#8220;parenting superpower&#8221; of always being there, even when it feels like I&#8217;m not. A playful moment turned into a meaningful lesson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111203969,"featured_media":2238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[779323047,195981],"tags":[42462717,779323052,376,779323048,779323050,779323051,779323053],"class_list":["post-7535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-family-dog","tag-eyes-on-back-of-head","tag-funny-family-moments","tag-humor","tag-parenting-moments","tag-parenting-superpowers","tag-parenting-with-humor","tag-raising-kids"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7WyLB-1Xx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8816,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=8816","url_meta":{"origin":7535,"position":0},"title":"School started\u2014so did my exercise routine.","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"August 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=779323134"},"img":{"alt_text":"parent running after the school bus with their kid's lunch.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7711,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7711","url_meta":{"origin":7535,"position":1},"title":"Coffee Mug Diplomacy","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It wasn\u2019t the perfect words that saved the moment\u2014it was the pause between them.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Family&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=779323047"},"img":{"alt_text":"A picture of a gear shift and a Yeti coffee mug, helping parents find patience","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_6904-e1744852366837.jpeg?fit=466%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7727,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7727","url_meta":{"origin":7535,"position":2},"title":"\ud83d\udc23\u00a0Sunday Shorts: \u201cOne Family Story Leads to Another\u201d","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The best part of a family holiday isn\u2019t the meal or the candy \u2014 it\u2019s the stories. The ones that resurface year after year, and the ones no one planned on sharing\u2026 but did anyway.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sunday Shorts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Shorts","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=26400"},"img":{"alt_text":"A formal dining room with a table laid out for a big family Easter dinner. 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In her had is a lit up P and things circling it that start with the letter P.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penelope-.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penelope-.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penelope-.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penelope-.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9876,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=9876","url_meta":{"origin":7535,"position":4},"title":"Nobody Told the Squirrels","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s been a week. Between being called out by my son for my stress habits and trying to build a garden from scratch, I\u2019m reminded that even comfort has its complications\u2014and apparently, so do squirrels.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sunday Shorts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Shorts","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=26400"},"img":{"alt_text":"A squirrel on a tree looking right into the camera.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/untitled-design-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/untitled-design-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/untitled-design-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/untitled-design-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/untitled-design-14.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9010,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=9010","url_meta":{"origin":7535,"position":5},"title":"School Lunch and the Promise I Made at Eight","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I chased the perfect school lunch until I remembered the eight-year-old who first tasted what was possible.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=779323134"},"img":{"alt_text":"parent running after the school bus with their kid's lunch.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lunch-run.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pha0455_hi-e1614113998365.jpg?fit=2012%2C2012&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/111203969"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7535"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8825,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7535\/revisions\/8825"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}