I follow a lot of blogs where everyone is sad that their children are getting bigger. It's no lie when you hear that kids grow too quickly, no lie at all. It seems like yesterday I was hauling T's carseat into a cart while Dub was screaming to get out of his seat while the girl held G's hand for me. Like yesterday! I made an effort to enjoy every day with them, even the energy sucking, nothing goes right, everyone is throwing a tantrum, days. I let my babies sleep with me, I stayed in my pajamas and watched movies with them, and I let them eat cereal for dinner. I wasn't the perfect parent then and I'm not now. But I'm doing my best and as they grow I have no regrets.
We can all watch movies together, even if they are PG-13. They can stay up a little later on the weekends, meaning we can stay at friends a little longer, without being cranky the next day. I don't have to pack snacks every time we leave the house. They even dress themselves, quite well, they even know how to match now. Sometimes they don't match but if they don't care I've learned not to care. Though when they were younger, their sippy cups had to match their outfits in public. I'm not kidding, I was crazy.
If dinner gets pushed back to 7pm nobody melts down to a puddle of tears and feet kicking, they grab a piece of fruit. Yes, now that they are older we have homework meltdowns but we don't have bedtime battles. If they want to stay up an extra 30 minutes, which is rare, they just ask, and we usually let them. We do have slow waking up mornings but once out of bed they are self sufficient.
If you have little ones circling your feet, tugging at your pants, slobbering all over your face, relish it. Every day, take the time to just take it all in, if only for 10 minutes. Focus on nothing but what your child is on that very day, even it's some possessed 3 year old you don't recognize. If you do this, you won't have any regrets. I know some days all you want is bedtime. If you are having that kind of day, at bedtime, take the 10 minutes then, stare at them sleeping. Memorize their rosebud lips, their sweet chubby fingers, the thin wispy hair. Memorize it all while knowing that as they grow life changes but it's still just as great. It's just great for different reasons. As they grow you rarely have to reheat your coffee and when you do you rarely forget about it. Older kids become more willing to try new foods without whining. Play dates become having friends over, they can even get their own snacks. You may not be able to help them with their homework but they can help you with dinner. Instead of tripping over toys, you step on legos <----- that part sucks BUT as they get a little older they are better about picking up ALL the pieces. Oh and you don't have to wipe butts anymore, you still don't get to pee without hearing a "where's mom?" followed by an "I don't know" and then in stereo you hear a "MOOOOMM!!" but you can yell back for them to leave you alone. Traveling becomes easier and so much more rewarding. Older kids appreciate it more, they are interested in the history and the sights. There are no more strollers or carseats. Diaper bags become backpacks that they carry, how great is that? They can stand outside the stall watching the bags while you pee, now that is something short of a miracle. Oh and we can't forget date night!!!!! Right now when your shirt is being used as a snot rag and your toddler just peed on the carpet, you'd give anything for a date night, right? Well listen up, when your kids are older, they can stay home by themselves. That is right, there will come a day you won't have to worry about finding and paying a babysitter. You can have a date night more often, even it it's just a quick drink. It's a glorious perk of having older kids and THIS.....
You will be sad that it's going so quickly but you won't be sad that they grew up. It's really awesome, really awesome. It's so awesome to see them become their own person with their own passions and opinions. It's so awesome to listen to them talk about their day and even better when they ask for your advice. It's also great to see their relationship with their siblings evolve. It's not not always good times, there is yelling and whining through the years. However, the older they get the less they fight about toys, and the less they involve you in things like sharing the xbox or what they are going to watch on TV.
It melts your heart to see them texting each other just to say hey. Puts a smile on your face when the older kids willingly help their younger siblings with homework; not because they were told to but because they want to. It's freeing to let them walk to the park together to play a quick game of football before dinner. Being able to pull up to the store in your pajamas and send them in to get the one item you forgot for dinner rocks. Oh like you never cook dinner in your pajamas???? You beam with pride when they hold the door open for someone or go out of their way to help someone without you asking them to.
So stop dreading the future and start living for today. Cherish the now, get excited about the future, and remember the yesterday. They will only be a certain age for a year but they will be your children forever.
We can all watch movies together, even if they are PG-13. They can stay up a little later on the weekends, meaning we can stay at friends a little longer, without being cranky the next day. I don't have to pack snacks every time we leave the house. They even dress themselves, quite well, they even know how to match now. Sometimes they don't match but if they don't care I've learned not to care. Though when they were younger, their sippy cups had to match their outfits in public. I'm not kidding, I was crazy.
If dinner gets pushed back to 7pm nobody melts down to a puddle of tears and feet kicking, they grab a piece of fruit. Yes, now that they are older we have homework meltdowns but we don't have bedtime battles. If they want to stay up an extra 30 minutes, which is rare, they just ask, and we usually let them. We do have slow waking up mornings but once out of bed they are self sufficient.
If you have little ones circling your feet, tugging at your pants, slobbering all over your face, relish it. Every day, take the time to just take it all in, if only for 10 minutes. Focus on nothing but what your child is on that very day, even it's some possessed 3 year old you don't recognize. If you do this, you won't have any regrets. I know some days all you want is bedtime. If you are having that kind of day, at bedtime, take the 10 minutes then, stare at them sleeping. Memorize their rosebud lips, their sweet chubby fingers, the thin wispy hair. Memorize it all while knowing that as they grow life changes but it's still just as great. It's just great for different reasons. As they grow you rarely have to reheat your coffee and when you do you rarely forget about it. Older kids become more willing to try new foods without whining. Play dates become having friends over, they can even get their own snacks. You may not be able to help them with their homework but they can help you with dinner. Instead of tripping over toys, you step on legos <----- that part sucks BUT as they get a little older they are better about picking up ALL the pieces. Oh and you don't have to wipe butts anymore, you still don't get to pee without hearing a "where's mom?" followed by an "I don't know" and then in stereo you hear a "MOOOOMM!!" but you can yell back for them to leave you alone. Traveling becomes easier and so much more rewarding. Older kids appreciate it more, they are interested in the history and the sights. There are no more strollers or carseats. Diaper bags become backpacks that they carry, how great is that? They can stand outside the stall watching the bags while you pee, now that is something short of a miracle. Oh and we can't forget date night!!!!! Right now when your shirt is being used as a snot rag and your toddler just peed on the carpet, you'd give anything for a date night, right? Well listen up, when your kids are older, they can stay home by themselves. That is right, there will come a day you won't have to worry about finding and paying a babysitter. You can have a date night more often, even it it's just a quick drink. It's a glorious perk of having older kids and THIS.....
You will be sad that it's going so quickly but you won't be sad that they grew up. It's really awesome, really awesome. It's so awesome to see them become their own person with their own passions and opinions. It's so awesome to listen to them talk about their day and even better when they ask for your advice. It's also great to see their relationship with their siblings evolve. It's not not always good times, there is yelling and whining through the years. However, the older they get the less they fight about toys, and the less they involve you in things like sharing the xbox or what they are going to watch on TV.
It melts your heart to see them texting each other just to say hey. Puts a smile on your face when the older kids willingly help their younger siblings with homework; not because they were told to but because they want to. It's freeing to let them walk to the park together to play a quick game of football before dinner. Being able to pull up to the store in your pajamas and send them in to get the one item you forgot for dinner rocks. Oh like you never cook dinner in your pajamas???? You beam with pride when they hold the door open for someone or go out of their way to help someone without you asking them to.
So stop dreading the future and start living for today. Cherish the now, get excited about the future, and remember the yesterday. They will only be a certain age for a year but they will be your children forever.
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