In my 100th blog post, I had mentioned that parenting seems to be getting easier. This is QUITE oversimplified, as children can be a both joy and challenge regardless of their age.
A better way of putting it came from a dear friend, and super mom, who started her own parenting journey years ahead of me and made it all look SO EASY! She had her first child during her second year of law school while her husband was also in grad school and her sister an undergrad all at the same school. Some may say it was crazy, but like any mom and family, they made it work with rotating childcare schedules and a whole lot of love and hard work.
Truth is: There’s no road map for parenting – or anything in life for that matter! You have to live your life and go with what works for your own unique situation.
Okay, on to those wise words:
“As your children grow, they become less physically demanding, and more psychologically demanding.”
THIS is the best way to describe parenting! With my kids approaching two and four, I’m happy to only change diapers for one (not two like I did earlier), only help one get dressed, and just provide more direction for my older daughter. Sure there are still time outs and standard discipline, but I’m more challenged by the questions I’m being asked by 3.75 year old. Things like:
Big sister: Why is that man not wearing a shirt?
Me: Well, sweetie, it’s really hot out today, and sometimes men choose not to wear shirts to stay cool.
Big sister: That boy isn’t wearing a helmet on his bike.
Me: Yeah, sometimes people don’t make good / safe choices. I’m really glad you wear your helmet.
Big sister (after hearing no): I don’t like you anymore.
Me: That’s not very nice to say. That makes me sad.
Big sister (later): Sorry mom.
Whew! These questions can be exhausting! She is also yelling at her younger brother when he does basic two year old things: throwing food, not listening, screaming, etc. I remind her that she was that way when she was younger, and we have to teach him how to behave.
Do you agree with this revised parenting statement? Can you relate to these questions? Any advice on other responses? Have a great day all!
Related articles
- One Thing You Should Never Forget as a Mom {Wise Words from Mother Teresa} (inspiredbyfamilymag.com)
go mama o. 
Thank you for sharing that quote! I’m coming to the transition period for my little one. Right now she is both physically and psychologically demanding. Kiddos are so smart! She keeps me on my toes learning how to correct her and guide her as she discovers new things and enjoys the world around her. It’s good to know that the mental strain that comes as they grow isn’t something I’m alone in experiencing.
Awh – glad these words were as helpful to you as they were to me. My daughter also recently said to me, “I wish my hair were curly like my friend Hailey.” So I had to explain that we COULD try to curl her hair, but her hair is like Mom’s hair – stick straight. These image related questions are tough!
It’s so true – when they are little we are often physically exhausted from chasing after and caring for them. But as they grow older, they become more mentally challenging, which is both good and bad! 🙂 I love having deeper conversations with them. And I really love it when big sister tells little sister why we make the choices we do, rather than Mom needing to do it.
Thanks for checking out my blog Shannon! I am already seeing my daughter keep her younger brother in line. I am glad to hear that it may continue! It is pretty amazing to see how kids begin to process things.