Why do parents Always pretend that their kids actually put in a good effort?

Before I say this I just want to say that I’m not trying to be rude or disrespectful during any of this.

he other day my son was helping me get groceries out of the car, he comes out and flexes his arms telling me how strong he is. I watch him as he proceeds to reach into the car and grab the gallon of milk, from the minute he picked it up he struggled pretty significantly to carry it into the house. And he struggled even more putting it up on the table. I would have done it for him but he said he wanted to do it himself so I let him. He was so proud of himself after that. I meanINSIDE THOUGHT “ calm down little guy, don’t brag about a milk jug you could barely lift. I just watched you flex your muscles and explain how strong you were, then struggle to even lift a milk jug, let alone bring it into the house. , I just had to help you put that milk up on the countertop.

Today my daughter insisted she turned off a couple of the lights that we left on as we were leaving the house, I watched her get up on her stepstool, stretch out her arms, and start jumping, still barely grazing the switch. She then was bragging about how she was tall and able to reach the light switches. I mean INSIDE THOUGHT “ Chill out. kiddo, I just watched you climb up on your stepstool, still needing to jump, and still barely being able to reach the switches, needing to take a multiple tries because you kept missing, turning a two second task into a one minute task. Now here you are bragging about how quick and tall you are. I also Just picked you up and put you in your car seat because you couldn’t step into the car.


So what is impressive about my daughter claiming to be really tall, then immediately struggling to flip a couple of light switches, even when she is using her stepstool and jumping. She also took much much longer than it should’ve taken because she spent most of the time positioning her stepstool and trying to jump up and reach it. after, I hear “ mommy, can you help him my seat”? As I am lifting her up into her car seat because she isn’t tall enough to get in herself?

What is impressive about my son claiming to be super strong, even coming up to me to show off his muscles, then immediately struggling to even pick up the milk, and needing my help to put it up on the counter? And yes. he was using both hands plus his body weight, and was struggling the very second he picked it up, and proceeded to need my help to put it up on the countertop.