A few years ago I was in the kitchen, listening to the baby crying and throwing things, feeling frazzled, & trying my best to cook supper for my little family.
The baby at the time was my little boy, he had just become a toddler and was into e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. My daughter was supposed to be doing homework, but she sat at the table with tears in her eyes because she couldn’t read the directions and didn’t know what to do.
I’m shouting out random things like “Put that back.. no-no… don’t touch.. sweetie, sound it out.. & honey, could you please help? I’m just trying to cook a decent meal”. So all heck is breaking loose, as it sometimes did back then.
I read the caller ID… Crap, it’s another mom that I really look up to… She is so full of kindness and I could really use some of her positivity right now..
So I scream at the top of my lungs… “Everyone quiet!”
I heard her voice. “Hey, how was practice?” & one of her children says “fine”. “Fine? What did you guys do?”. I realized I was the victim of a butt dial.. or pocket dial, as the proper folks call it.
I know this seems silly, but that phone call inspired me I consider patience one of my best skills. I consider myself a caring mother and I really do take time to do things with my kids that other parents don’t enjoy. But I was in one of those phases where everything was hard, and I was really down in the dumps about it.
Fast forward to later that year, we found out my oldest daughter was dyslexic. Once we knew that and how to work with it, homework went much better. She now actually enjoys school work and reading. This girl asks for books for birthday presents! That floors me! At the time, homework was such a struggle, and I really believed in my heart that she just may never recover.
That whiny toddler that could tear a room apart in under a minute, is now my 6 year old little man. He doesn’t cry nearly as often as he once did! And he is one of the neatest people in our family. He prides himself on a clean room.. Who would have ever thought?
Parents of little ones:
The point here is, seek out positivity. No matter what it is that you are going through right now, it will get better. That’s a promise. Pray through it. I know that raising these little people is hard work! But hey, you can do this! You were made for this. In those early years and on those tough days, remember that nap time or bed time is only just a few hours away. You can make it!
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
No matter how many times you get the advice to ‘sleep when they sleep’, I know you won’t always do it. I didn’t either, there is too much to get done, right? Well how about instead of sleeping when they sleep, you at least take a moment to breathe… just breathe. If there is one regret that I have from my mothering experience so far, it would be that I didn’t take more time to breathe. To just relax, to slow down.
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