My almost new Google Pixel Pro suffered a wild mishap last week that left me searching in the dark corners of my bank account. Repair costs were high , and the idea of just buying a new one was very unappealingly staring me in the face.

I decided to get all DIY-savvy and researched Ifixit products, purchasing the Pixel Pro repair kit. With all the knowledge of a potato in a chemistry lab, my kid and I bravely plunged into the abyss of phone surgery at 11:00 pm . The YouTube video seemed to spell out the steps like a GPS, but then it happened—a moment of absolute befuddlement. It was like the video missed the "press the big red button to fix everything" step.

Cue the epic showdown: a roaring argument between the teen and a grown-up trying to adult. Age initially flexed its muscles, but alas, 15 minutes later, I had to retreat as the teen was proven right. Roles reversed, and she started throwing rhetorical fireballs at me, while I shamefully took cover. She took the lead on the surgery, while I stepped back performing trivial activities like removing the adhesive from the backing.

After a couple of trial and errors, we were able to hear only the sound and not see anything. We managed to backtrack and correct all our blunders. We attached the screen, powered it on, and voila, the screen lit up with "Google".

Two hours later, we emerged victorious from the smartphone-surgery battlefield, equipped with newfound wisdom and the ability to replace phone screens.

Lessons learnt..

1. YouTube shorts may be short, but they wield the power of enlightenment!

2. While phone replacements can drain your wallet, DIY is surprisingly doable if you're up for the challenge.

3. The teen phase isn't always a battleground; it's a phase of budding mini-adults.

4.We've just minted a core memory, complete with a humorous saga of screen repair!

5. And oh yes.. I need to invest in a screen protector..