Some seasons of life feel like one long endurance test…
and apparently I’m the designated bad cop in every single area of my existence.
At work?
I’m the one reminding grown adults — fully functioning human beings with salaries —
that rules exist.
Written rules. Unwritten rules. Basic logic. Gravity. Common sense.
And somehow, people still manage to break all of them… simultaneously.
One person ignores safety procedures.
Another skips a simple step “because they were in a hurry.” Another decides that rules apply to everyone else, just not them.
Someone else decides their way is better than the company’s actual workflow.
And guess who gets to clean up the chaos, realign the structure, and make sure nobody dies?
Me. The human seatbelt.
Then I get home.
And my kids — God bless their curious, brilliant little brains —
suddenly turn into tiny lawyers testing every boundary:
“Is that REALLY the rule?”
“Technically you didn’t say right now.”
“I know you said no… but what if I ask again every 30 seconds?”
And while I’m negotiating peace treaties with my children,
my pet looks at me like:
“Oh, you thought you were done? Watch me chew the one thing you love.”
At this point, even my houseplants are probably planning mutiny.
And somewhere between work chaos, kid chaos, pet chaos, and life chaos,
you realize something important:
Being the “responsible one” doesn’t just drain your energy —
it drains your soul if you’re not careful.
Because the burden isn’t just doing the hard things.
It’s holding the line when no one else holds theirs.
It’s being the structure in places where others slip.
It’s being the adult-in-the-room
everywhere you go.
But here’s the deeper truth — the one we forget:
✨ People don’t follow rules when they’re disconnected.
✨ Kids push boundaries when they feel safe with you.
✨ Pets act wild when they’re under-stimulated or anxious.
✨ And YOU break down when you carry too much without support.
You’re not the bad cop because you’re strict.
You’re the bad cop because you’re trying to keep the whole ecosystem functioning.
And that’s the part that no one claps for.
They don’t celebrate the hard conversations.
The reminders.
The consequences.
The consistency.
The emotional labour that nobody sees.
But here’s how you survive it without burning out:
1. Stop trying to be the firefighter AND the fireproof wall.
You’re allowed to say:
“This is your responsibility. Not mine.”
Delegate. Hold people accountable. Let consequences teach.
2. Create a 10-second reset before reacting.
Especially with kids (and occasionally adults).
Pause → breathe → choose your response instead of reacting from exhaustion.
3. Reinforce expectations once — not twenty times.
Repeat the rule → explain why → follow through.
Clarity reduces chaos.
Over-explaining increases it.
4. Build more “soft moments” into your day.
A silent cup of tea.
A walk.
A moment when nobody is allowed to ask you anything.
Your nervous system needs places to land.
5. Remember you’re not failing — you’re carrying.
If you weren’t holding the structure,
everything would collapse a long time ago.
Your strength is invisible, but it matters more than you know.
And if you’re reading this thinking:
“Yes, I’m the bad cop everywhere right now,”
just know this:
You’re not too strict.
You’re not too sensitive.
You’re not too controlling.
You’re the person who cares enough to prevent disaster.
Workplace disaster.
Kid disaster.
Pet disaster.
Life disaster.
Just make sure you’re not forgetting the one rule that matters:
The strong one needs rest too.
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