When to Ignore Your Feelings and Do the Right Thing

Sometimes our feelings are spot on, but sometimes they are an outgrowth of toxic societal messages

I hated being told what to do when I was a parent of young kids, and vowed I wouldn’t do it to other people.

But I will admit that yesterday I cracked.

Recently I went to spend the day with Jacob, a new parent. His wife was away for the weekend and Jacob had been left with bottles of pumped breastmilk and their ten-week-old baby… for three days. Lest you have issues with this, men have been going away on business since the time business trips began and no one batted an eyelash. So, if you’re feeling all judgy, feel those feelings. Feel them all. And then promptly ignore them.

And that’s what this article is about.
The importance of ignoring your feelings.

Back to Jacob.

Let me be clear, this is not a “let’s bash dads” article. I just happen to have had this experience yesterday with a dad. I have known plenty of mothers who behaved similarly. (I may have, on more than one occasion, been guilty myself of what I’m about to share.)

After mom left, I thought Jacob might like some company, so I swung by to hang out. Jacob…