Some Days, Chicken Banana is Worth It: Why Parenting Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

by Dr. Kelly Poirot

I don’t know about your house, but our mornings can get pretty chaotic. By the time we finally make it to the car, I savor the seven seconds of silence I get after shutting the door and walking around to the driver’s side. Sometimes those few seconds are the calmest part of my day.

Recently, my husband came up with an ingenious solution when our kids were struggling to buckle themselves quickly. He told them that whoever gets buckled first, whether it’s them or the parent, gets to choose the first song. The whining decreased. The “I can’t do it”s faded. Motivation skyrocketed.

It worked beautifully.

There was just one problem.

The song choice.

If you don’t know what “Chicken Banana” is, let me tell you: it may be the most annoying song in the whole entire world. And yet, there I was, asking myself if 2 minutes and 11 seconds of Chicken Banana was worth the smoother morning.

Most days, it is.

As parents, we are constantly bombarded with advice. Instagram. TikTok. Parenting blogs. Family members. Friends. Strangers in the grocery store checkout line. At some point, almost every parent receives unsolicited advice about what they “should” be doing.

The reality is, parenting is not one-size-fits-all.

We are unique individuals trying to raise unique humans. There is no single right answer. No universal strategy. No approach that works perfectly for every child, in every family, in every season.

At Brightside Psychology, we offer parent coaching, and one of our core beliefs is that effective parenting support should be both evidence-based and personalized. We teach research-supported strategies, but we also help parents tailor them to fit their child and their family.

Some kids light up with big celebrations and enthusiastic praise. Others find that overwhelming and respond better to a quiet “I noticed how hard you tried” or a simple pat on the back. Some kids thrive on routine and predictability. Others seek novelty and change. Neither is wrong. They are just different.

Ultimately, one of our goals as parents is to raise humans who can function well in the world. And while it is not our job to make our children happy all the time, it is our job to support them. That support often looks like building a flexible toolbox of strategies so we can respond thoughtfully instead of just react in the moment.

And yes, sometimes that means deciding that Chicken Banana is worth it.

Other days, the game is off, mom chooses the song (or Chicken Banana is off limits that day), and we all move on. Because mom is driving, and if she hears Chicken Banana one more time, she might actually turn bananas.

If you’re looking for parenting support that fits your family instead of forcing your family to fit a formula, Brightside is here to help. We offer virtual and in-person parent coaching, therapy, and assessments in the west Houston area.

Click here to schedule a free 15-minute consult call today.