Almost 13 years into this parenting journey and I'm amazed at what I've learned and how I've grown. For some time, I've been thinking about the changes in my parenting over the years and particularly how some things have gotten easier with maturity and experience while others get harder.
First on the "easier" list has got to be toddler temper tantrums -- as a first time mom I had such a hard time knowing how to deal with those and not taking them personally. Nowadays, I just shrug my shoulders, handle them, and move on. On the "harder" list? Number one for me has got to be pregnancy. I don't think my pregnancies have physcially changed that much, but it has been harder and harder for me to have the energy during them for everything else I need to do.
Here are a few others I've thought of:
Easier:
* Toddler Temper Tantrums
* Saying no
* Recognizing my limits
* Accepting our family's faults while still working to be better
* Making peace with "good enough"
* Keeping the house clean and in order (many hands DO make light work)
* Not comparing myself to others
* Getting dinner on the table
* Bedtime
* Understanding that even when I do it all "right," my kids will still make mistakes
* Knowing that it's all worth it -- it's awesome to see the amazing people my older kids are turning out to be (even though they can still drive me crazy)
* Dealing with tough stages of my kids' lives; I know now they'll pass
* Keeping up with good habits (rather than trying to establish them): family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening
* Regular dates with my husband (having one child old enough to babysit changes your life; having two is just plain luxury!)
Harder:
* Pregnancy
* Waking up at night with a newborn
* Dealing with sleep deprivation
* Carving out enough time for myself
* Dealing with petty arguments among the kids
* Being consistent about teaching my younger ones to pick up after themselves (because it's easier and faster just to have the older ones clean up the toys)
* Getting to the library for storytime each week or the park
* Messy art projects
* Remembering to write down the cute things my kids say
What things would be on your "easier" list and what would be on your "harder" list? What have you learned from parenting?
Comments
I have learned that I'm not in control all the time. My kids are going to make choices (good/bad) and that is what they are suppose to do. My kids have taught me so much about letting go of control. They are suppose to make choices and they are very capable of doing so.
It's really funny, because I think my list would look VERY similar to yours. (Almost EXACTLY! LOL!) :-)
(Having 4-5 babysitters to choose from is great-- until they're ALL going to the same dance/party/activity. :-p)
Have a GREAT day!
Harder-yes, pregnancy. getting out of bed with a spring in my step.
Easy...yeah, the tantrums.
Pregnancy is harder now! I had a very easy pregnancy with my first and then twins and figured that a subsequent singleton was going to be as easy as that first pregnancy. It's definitely easier than twins, but harder than 5 years ago.