12 Parenting Lessons I've Learned From This Is Us

The third trimester of pregnancy can be pretty miserable, regardless of whether you're expecting one baby or, like Rebecca, three of them. Dads-to-be should understand that their wives are ticking time bombs of hormones and irritability, so follow orders when necessary or just stay out of the way!

Randall and Beth thought they were getting away for a romantic night; instead they ended up sitting in a bathroom waiting to find out if they'd be adding a third child to their family. And as anyone who's taken a pregnancy test without knowing what they wanted the results to be has experienced, it was an emotional roller coaster. Their results were negative, but the experience made them think maybe they weren't totally done with babies.

About to give birth to triplets, Rebecca realized she had forgotten all about her husband's birthday, and without the time, energy, or resources to make the day as special as he deserved, she settled for giving him a candle-topped cupcake (OK, it was a banana nut muffin). It can be hard to muster up the energy to celebrate our spouses in the midst of dealing with babies and small children, so we hope the little things will let them know we still really care.

Every new parent has been there. You are presented with a beautiful bundle of joy who captures your heart immediately, then proceeds to quickly destroy your will to live by refusing to sleep or even be comforted. Your feelings switch from overwhelming joy to desperate despair in mere minutes, multiple times a day.

In the middle of raising small children, it takes a real effort to find time to reconnect with your spouse — but it's totally worth it. When Jack and Rebecca escaped to their old apartment with a bottle of Champagne and some twinkle lights, they remembered how much they love each other, despite their increasingly complicated and busy lives.

A young Randall attends a martial arts class run by a black man — somebody his parents hope can be a strong role model in his life — who asks Jack to do push-ups with Randall on his back to physically show his dedication to holding his son up throughout his life. The scene is beautiful, as Jack refuses to stop even after the instructor tells him he can, proving to his son that he will never stop fighting for him, something every parent wants to do for their children.

Parenting can be an all-consuming endeavor, and as years fly by, we realize that we've put aside our own needs and desires for the sake of our children's. When Rebecca left her band to take care of her intoxicated husband, it quickly devolved into a fight, with her telling him the gig had been "the first time in years that I had something for myself. I have no life. I have zero life. I am a housewife to three teenagers who don't need me anymore. I am a friggin' ghost." While we always want to put our kids first, parents should remember to take care of their own needs as well.

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When it's discovered that Randall is gifted and has been purposely getting average grades to not stand out from his brother and sister, his parents teach him to embrace his talents. On his first day at a new school, Jack ties Randall's necktie, showing him how to loosen it up to make it a little more comfortable. Unlike his father, Randall goes on to learn to love that tie, picking a career that allows him to wear one every day. While our kids might not be exactly like us, we should teach them to love exactly who they are.

When Kate's 10th birthday party isn't the perfect experience she'd hoped for, her dad saves the day by joining her in a silly vogue-ing session. Our kids will have disappointments and setbacks, and sometimes the best thing we can do for them is to simply make them smile through the tears — even if we look silly in the process.

Parents are inevitably going to have disagreements, some small and insignificant, others much bigger. When Jack and Rebecca find themselves at a crossroads and decide he should leave the house until they figure things out, she asks what they should tell the kids. "Tell them the truth," he replies. Good advice for every parent in a similar situation.

No matter how long and stressful our day has been, there's something magical about those few minutes before your children fall asleep, a fact Rebecca was reminded of when tucking Randall into bed.

There will never be enough "thank you"s or hugs or "I love you"s to mark the work of an engaged, loving mom or dad, but the best parents know to find their praise in the little things, even if it's just a "World's Best Dad" mug.