a note to parents of little ones
to the parent who wonders if the toys will ever all be picked up,
let alone all have a place of their own,
to those who keep their children safe by creating barriers where ever they need to with whatever they have on hand
to those who are struggling to find time to read their Bible and pray, fitting it in between diaper changes and feeding the baby and/or little ones
to those
who are tired of reading the same story for the hundredth time today
who haven't showered in days because someone is sick
who wonder if anyone sees and appreciates the sacrifices they are making
who feel guilty lingering in the rocking chair rather than "getting to work"
I want to encourage you,
to assure you,
all of the "messes"
all of the endless, seemingly mindless tasks,
all of the things that have to be done over and over and over again, day in and day out and leave you with nothing to show for having done them except maybe a full trash can...
it's all worth it
it isn't wasted energy
what you are doing is extremely important
the time you spend with your children is priceless and irreplaceable
today my first born, twins, are 38 years old
and unless the grand babies are here,
the toys have a place of their own
I can see my floors,
I can enjoy food and drinks at the "right" temperature
I can do projects uninterrupted
but
there are no daily snuggles
I can no longer create barriers to keep them safe,
I am no longer interrupted by sticky hugs and kisses
"I love you mommy" and "come see what I made" aren't distractions.
I know it is not easy, it is downright exhausting most days.
But I strongly encourage you to think about this one thing:
children don't stay little.
Unless something happens they grow up and move on to live their own lives.
Apart from you.
These days you are in right now may seem way too long,
but one day you will look back and see that the years pass way too quickly.
Believe it or not, one day you may wish for one of "these" days.
let alone all have a place of their own,
to the parent who longs to eat a meal and drink coffee that is still warm, resigned to the reality they won't get a chance to enjoy them hot
to those who keep their children safe by creating barriers where ever they need to with whatever they have on hand
to those who want just 10 minutes to finish a project,
especially one that will help cut down on the chaos
to those who are struggling to find time to read their Bible and pray, fitting it in between diaper changes and feeding the baby and/or little ones
who are tired of reading the same story for the hundredth time today
who haven't showered in days because someone is sick
who wonder if anyone sees and appreciates the sacrifices they are making
who feel guilty lingering in the rocking chair rather than "getting to work"
I want to encourage you,
to assure you,
all of the "messes"
all of the endless, seemingly mindless tasks,
all of the things that have to be done over and over and over again, day in and day out and leave you with nothing to show for having done them except maybe a full trash can...
it's all worth it
it isn't wasted energy
what you are doing is extremely important
the time you spend with your children is priceless and irreplaceable
today my first born, twins, are 38 years old
and unless the grand babies are here,
the toys have a place of their own
I can see my floors,
I can enjoy food and drinks at the "right" temperature
I can do projects uninterrupted
but
there are no daily snuggles
I can no longer create barriers to keep them safe,
I am no longer interrupted by sticky hugs and kisses
"I love you mommy" and "come see what I made" aren't distractions.
I know it is not easy, it is downright exhausting most days.
But I strongly encourage you to think about this one thing:
children don't stay little.
Unless something happens they grow up and move on to live their own lives.
Apart from you.
These days you are in right now may seem way too long,
but one day you will look back and see that the years pass way too quickly.
Believe it or not, one day you may wish for one of "these" days.
Thank you for this much-needed encouragement. I am a mom of 3 boys, 8 and under, with a baby girl on the way. Some days I get so frustrated with the toys taking over the living room, but I constantly remind myself that this is temporary and to focus on the good. I appreciate your family and the experiences you share here. You are a blessing!
ReplyDeleteBrandi,
DeleteI am glad this post was an encouragement to you. I am not sure why I did not reply earlier-but I want to thank you for encouraging me with your kind words. And I am praying right now for your little family. I do not know where you are in the wait for the baby girl, but I am praying that the adjustment of adding a new little one goes as smoothly as possible. <3