There is a strange twist in parenting that I do not think anyone really warns you about. You spend your childhood collecting tiny, shining memories, then one day you realise you are the adult quietly building that same kind of nostalgia for someone else. That simple shift in perspective is what British dad Ethan Lapierre shared on TikTok, and it struck a nerve with parents who instantly recognised themselves in it.
Lapierre, who has two young children, filmed himself in his car talking straight to the camera. He described how we all carry mental snapshots of Christmas routines, family lunches, snow days, and the little rituals that seemed ordinary at the time but later feel like the foundation of who we are. Then he pictured himself doing everyday parent things, like trimming crusts off a sandwich or pulling on a child’s favourite pyjamas, and suddenly it clicked that he is now the person creating those memories.
That realisation hit him hardest while decorating the Christmas tree with his family. He later explained that he caught himself hoping his children would remember those moments because they mean everything to him. Looking at his son, he realised his child is reaching the age when experiences start to stick, and that made him think more carefully about the home atmosphere he wants to build.
@withethanlap Parenthood is really all about creating those core memories for you kids that they’ll be nostalgic for someday. #parenthood #parenting #parents #nostaliga #corememories ♬ original sound – Ethan Lapierre
Instead of focusing on big trips or expensive events, Lapierre and his wife Sarah try to make the small routines feel special. In their house, that looks like movie nights, Saturday doughnuts from a local bakery, and screen free evenings that start with dinner together and end only at bedtime. He also talked about the messy, playful parts of family life, like inventing silly games, wrestling, running around the house, and building towers and makeshift forts, which he called his favourite part of the day.
His video quickly took off, and the comments turned into a shared scrapbook of parenthood. People wrote about their own traditions, from Friday morning doughnuts with Dad to the quiet work of making holidays magical behind the scenes. One parent summed it up by saying she feels responsible for the magic, and in a way, she is the magic.
What Lapierre wanted most was to reach the parents who feel pressure to do everything perfectly, especially while scrolling through other families online. He admitted how easy it is to look at someone else’s highlight reel and decide you are falling short. But he offered a gentler measure of success, saying that if you are even asking whether you are doing it right, it probably means you care, and that caring counts for more than a polished performance.
Which everyday moment do you hope your kids remember years from now? Share your own small family tradition in the comments.
