I’m surrounded by babies, even though we don’t have them any longer (and have made the decision not to have any more). Our family may not be growing more but I find myself part of a village that has babies and toddlers in it. Which I love. My sisters, my friends, other family members – we all have children at different ages and stages. It’s pretty fantastic.
As I was playing with my niece this weekend, I realized that this parenting thing doesn’t get easier as the kids get older, it just changes. Maybe bedtime is a little more flexible now that I have school aged children, but bedtime stresses are still an issue some nights. Toddler tantrums over not being allowed to touch the television have been replaced with school-aged whining about homework and household chores.
Parenting changes with each stage. It’s not always rainbows and unicorns. And it’s not always easy to adapt. Some stages are easier than others, but while each one may bring new challenges, there are also new joys to be discovered.
I loved the baby stage. I loved exploring toddlers. I loved the adventurous preschool age. The inquisitive school age. I’m enjoying (for the most part) each new chapter that we open.
But it can be overwhelming to learn something new all the time. To adapt and evolve along with our growing, curious and innocent kids, and to do so with each child, who can all be different in expressions, expectations and needs, it’s overwhelming. Sometimes, no two days are like.
This parenting gig doesn’t end. It morphs, and grows, and the best we can do is learn to adapt, sometimes rather quickly, and do our best. And I’m okay with that. My anxious, controlling nature has some issues with it at times, but it’s one of the most fascinating lessons in parenthood – that often our children teach us as much as we teach them.
At the end of the day, that’s all any of us are trying to do – our best. For our children and for ourselves.
Can you relate?
Great post Rebecca and yes, I believe that any parent would relate to this. Whether your child/children are 4 mos., 4 years or 40!
Yes!! I do still ask myself sometimes though “do things get easier when we don’t have so many “jobs” to do?” Like – changing diapers, wiping, bathing, cutting up food for dinner, spoon feeding etc. etc. I do look at parents of 10 and 12-yr olds, and I wonder whether it has at least gotten a TAD easier in the “job” department!!
Great blog :).
Yes, parenting morphs and changes but you mentioned control which is something I talk about all the time. You focus on controlling yourself, not your children … and everything falls into place.
I just wrote a blog on this which explains this better.
http://bratbusters.com/1-parenting-tip-guaranteed-results/
You’re right, at the end of the day you can just do your best, that’s what parenting is all about :).
Lisa, Parenting Coach
thanks Lisa!