Parenting is:
Feeling like you should just set up a tent at Target.
Having one child fall on their head while the other pees their pants and the doorbell rings.
Running up and down the stairs 1,000 times in one day.
Trying not to react in anger when your one-year-old shuts the refrigerator door on your head while trying to fetch the string cheese for him.
Not being sure what your child just put in their mouth before they swallowed it but consoled by the fact that it’s happened 100 times before and they’re still alive.
Spending all morning getting everyone prepared to leave the house but when you’re finally ready, it’s nap-time. So you stay home.
-OR-
Spending all morning getting everyone ready to drive six minutes to the store, then having your kids fall asleep upon entering the parking lot, so you drive home.
Losing the war with peanut butter. It’s everywhere.
Looking at trucks in 20-degree weather at 11 PM to calm your screaming toddler on the way home from Grandpa’s house.
Heating your coffee seven times a day.
Having dance parties at 8 AM.
Wanting to run away from it all sometimes.
Trying to do 50 things at once.
Cooking a meal in the oven and re-heating it in the microwave by the time you get to take your first bite.
Needing more patience than you have.
Loving someone enough to give up everything for them.
Enjoying life through the little things (squirrels, bubbles, rain) once again.
Wondering how you will make it another five minutes when your spouse works late.
Rediscovering yourself to include other little lives that will forever be a part of you.
Being impressed by how far you can stretch your arms to the backseat
to retrieve a toy or push up your child’s head when sleeping like this:
Not quite being able to explain how, in the midst of all the stress and craziness, you would do it all over again.
Spot on! Keep up the good work!?
Thanks friend!
And when they are grown and off to college…….you wonder how did you survive , but would do it all over again…Then some day you become a grandma and you get to help our for a few hours or a few days. Love you ////1111
So sweet :)!
Parenting is all of your thoughts and more. It is also an investment in your retirement years… you cannot have grandchildren without raising your children first (in theory?). We travel, play golf and snow ski in our own retirements, but it would be be somewhat empty without having grandchildren to love, watching them grow, attend their sports events, share holidays and spoil a bit. Retirement will always be 90% family and 10% financial resources. They are your legacy and the price is right…after the fun, you can always go home and recover!
Doc
I can’t wait to be a grandparent for all of those reasons!! How is that for pressure on my children… Thanks for the great insights from the “other side”!
YES!!! Ha! I remember so MANY times arriving to our desired location and they just fall asleep!! Or spending HOURS getting ready to leave the house and then nap time! But OH sweet precious nap time! haha!!
Good reminder to be thankful for that nap time, right? 🙂