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We just recently got Madison a new bed, so we could get Macey out of her toddler bed and into the bunk beds with Maggie. I took a picture of the toddler bed and sent it to my friend to see if she wanted it. After I took the photo, I looked at it for a few minutes. It kind of made me sad. The bed was the last of our baby and toddler stuff. We had already gotten rid of the crib from when the kids were babies. I can’t believe how fast time has flown. It made me think about what I would tell the younger version of me, the one so stressed trying to keep everything together with four little ones under foot.
Dear Weary Mom,
If I could give advice to the younger version of me, I would tell her to relax. The time is coming when I will have a perfect house. The furniture won’t have stains on it, the mirror won’t have handprints on it, there won’t be spilled juice on the floor making it sticky, there won’t be toys everywhere. There’s coming a time when I won’t have to pick up my house twenty-four seven. In the blink of an eye, I know this time will have passed.
Our oldest is already pushing eleven years old. We have seven more years with him. After that, I don’t know what God has for him. I know that I left my home at eighteen, went to college, married right after college, and moved away. Too soon, our home will be empty. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will wish for toys on the floor. I will look longingly at my mirror and remember the handprints that used to line it.
I will look back at the craziness and the chaos and miss it. I will wish that our house was loud and messy once more. Even now, I miss the baby stage. Though I don’t miss late-night nursing sessions, carrying a heavy diaper bag everywhere I go, and cleaning up diaper explosions, I do miss the snuggles of a baby. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would choose to spend less time trying endlessly to get the house clean. I would choose more time rocking my baby, snuggling with my toddlers, and playing hide and seek with my preschoolers.
Enjoy this Stage of Life with Littles
The thing is, that exhaustion that plagues you every moment of the day with littles will pass. You will get past this stage. Life will get easier. Those babies will grow up. They will be able to help as they get older.
For now, soak in those baby cuddles. Embrace the time with your littles. Spend time doing the things you can do now that you can’t do once they go to school. You have five years with your first child before they go to school. Once they go to school, things really change. It’s really hard to let them go. That’s one of the reasons we love homeschooling so much. We don’t have to let them go. I get to take an active role in their education. I don’t have to send them away every day, and I love that.
The Days are Long, but the Years are Short
The best phrase I have heard when dealing with littles is this: “The days are long, but the years are short.” It’s so true. The days were and still are at times so very long. Yet in the blink of an eye, the years have passed. I can’t believe our oldest is almost a teenager. It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. The years have flown by. All too soon, he is going to be leaving us. God has great things in store for each of our kids, and I am excited to see what they are. But I know it’s going to be hard to let them go. So, I am going to spend the time now, while they are still in my care enjoying every minute of my time with them. I’m saying this as a reminder and challenge as much to myself as I am saying it to you.
Choose to Make the Most of Whichever Stage of Life You Are In
Whatever stage of life you are in, soak it in. Enjoy it. Too often, we want to just jump to the next stage of life. Choose to love the stage of life you’re in right now and all that goes with it. There is joy in each and every stage, but we will miss it if we have our eyes focused on the next stage.
If you’re single, enjoy this time. Do things you can’t do when you’re married. Travel, experience life, have fun and soak in this time. If you’re married but don’t have kids yet, enjoy the time with your spouse. Take trips together, go on dates often, visit extended family, plan game nights with friends. If you have kids in your home, plan family days and spontaneous trips, read aloud to them, explore new places, and make family memories. If your kids are grown and out of the house, do the things you always wanted to do but couldn’t because of the kids. Write a book, start a business, create the products you always wanted to, learn a new skill, spend time reading or drawing, or whatever brings your heart fulfillment.
We can be sad about leaving a particular phase of life or we can choose to find joy in the stage of life we are in and thrive.
If you enjoyed this post, another post you might enjoy is My Reminder from a Heart in the Sand. My book recommendation would be The SuperMom Myth by Becky Koptizke. It’s one of my favorite “mom” books. I loved it and marked mine all up.