Last week I was in a grump slump and Wendy, a MomsToolbox reader, sent some advice and a perspective on parenting little ones. I thought you might benefit from it, too..
All moms have our stories that we laugh about now, even though they didn’t seem quite so funny at the time.
My advice for those moments is that if you’re going to laugh about it someday, you might as well start today.
Also, the best gift you can give your kids is a mom and dad who love each other.
Your kids require a lot of time and effort, especially when they’re little, but don’t just put your marriage to the side until the kids don’t need you as much anymore.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that as your kids get older they won’t need you.
It’s easy to back off as they get more independent and you don’t have to tie shoes anymore, but if you want them to talk to you when they’re teenagers (and you do, even if you don’t always really want to hear what they’re saying), it’s important to still spend time with them and play Sorry…again…when they’re 10. And honestly, everyone says it, but it’s true. It goes faster than you think.
Cherish the chaos.
Sooner than you’re ready for they’ll grow up and move out and it’ll be quiet all the time. Parts of that you’ll love, but it’ll be hard to go back to cooking for 2 all the time. But in the meantime, it’s okay to put the kids to bed and then make a dinner just for 2 sometimes :)
When I emailed Wendy to ask if I could post her thoughts, she shared that she was also navigating her way through her own life’s chaos.
“All that stuff I said is true,” she said. “It’s just not always easy to apply :)”
So very true. Thanks, Wendy, for sharing.
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