When I would hear younger kids say in shows “Oh man, I had a rough nite”…I think, ah ok, they partied all night, then probably slept in the next day…unless chose to party the nite before working early the next day. Again, I emphasize “chose” to.

The key difference is they get to sleep in. Catch up, recharge, then go about telling their buddies about their rough nite of partying.

It’s funny how stages in life, those phrases mean different things. Saying you had a “rough nite” as a parent can include, being awake after at 2 am with a baby who doesn’t sleep through the nite. Then awake every now and then feeding the baby. Add in that they are coughing and then spit up on you at approximately 4am. To which you have to change the bedsheets and your clothes and your baby’s clothes so it’s not soiled.
Then having to finally go back to bed after bringing the cool humidifier in your room, then having your wrist watch alarm go off at 4:15am to which you realize your baby had played with your watch again and somehow figured out how to set an alarm on your watch. Yes…this is twice this happened..TRUE STORY.
Then finally going to bed and having to wake up at 7am so you can take your other little one to the bathroom.

The phrase now “I had a rough nite” is now exactly that. I was so tired, I fell asleep on the couch while my son napped on me. Small cat nap, but I’ll take it over nothing.

So, when parents say “rough nite”. They win.

I get it now. I get why my parents were always tired all the time. Touché parents. You win. Hahah.