5 Ways Kids Keep You Humble

Anyone else experience that moment when you realize the pre-children judgements you made about motherhood and mamas and parenting are now by some cosmic twist being dramatically thrown in your Judgy-McJugderson face?

Nope? Just me? Sweet.

Allow me to explain…

You are casually out in the world, going about your day, and BOOM! You realize that exact phrase you muttered in judgement all those pre-maternity jeans and breast-pumps and pacifiers ago is now your reality. Except, now you are the mama of a preschooler and a toddler and you wish you could go back to your pre-baby self, shake her and say, “Listen, lady…you DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. Do you understand that? There is no room for judgement in this whole motherhood/parenting/raising children situation. Everyone is doing the best they can. And yes–sometimes that means stopping for Sonic slushes at 9:30 AM. IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES you go for it–cherry flavored ones too! Because, some days MOTHERING IS HARD.” 

5 Ways Kids Keep You Humble

Here are a few ways I experienced the “be careful what you say” wake-up call motherhood doled out via a big metaphoric slap in the face….

Sleeping: Because they don’t call it exhaustion for nothing. Chances are that sweet little babe of yours will either sleep wonderfully as a newborn OR wonderfully as a toddler. I have rarely heard of a child doing both. If, by chance, you do have one of those sleeps-amazing-no-matter-what-no-matter-where sleepers give him a million kisses and thank your lucky stars because no amount of “this one method will guarantee a great sleeper” books I ever read helped the fact that BOTH of my children dropped naps before they were two. Yes, you read that right–BEFORE they were TWO. Mamas of not-so-great sleepers, I feel ya.

Eating: “When we have kids we are going to teach them how to behave at dinner, so our family outings aren’t limited to places with built-in entertainment.” Um…I would imagine many of you, like me, figured out REAL QUICK how so not worth it it is to dine {plus little kids} really anywhere that the main source of nourishment isn’t served in nugget form {all the heart-eyes for Chick-Fil-A}. Also, if anyone knows the inventor of those veggie squeeze packs, please give him or her a hug for me. Fairly certain if it weren’t for those my children’s veggie intake would be limited to corn and peas. Because, meal time with kids = the reason for wine. Kidding. Kind of.

5 Ways Kids Keep You HumbleGrocery Shopping: Three words: ALL THE SNACKS. Every single trip I make to the grocery store with my children I allow them to pick out something off the shelf to eat. I know, I know.  My own husband still rolls his eyes that I allow for such behavior, but you know what? Getting out of the store with everything on my list is torture even when I’m alone. So add two children + the semi-truck sized shopping cart and it’s nearly impossible. Believe me, snacks help. Plus, if you give them a squeezie, VOILA veggies for the day! See? Good job, Mama.

5 Ways Kids Keep You HumblePlaydates: Because your child will never ever be the “hitter” or the “biter” or the “non-sharer”. Riiiiiight. Get two or more children of similar ages together in the same space for longer than 20 seconds, and there is bound to be some amount of fighting, grabbing, bossing and general chaos. Ride it out. One week it’s your kid who throws the Tonka Truck across the room in anger because he was asked to share, and the next week it’s someone else’s. The ebbs and flows of mothering are real, and more often than not, your day depends on the emotional whims of your highly irrational child. Some days it’s all sunshine and roses. Others, well others time-out {even at a playdate} is your best friend. Don’t be embarrassed. We’ve all been there.

Adding to your family: Maybe it’s just me, but every.single.time I think “We should have another baby. See, look how nicely they are playing together! A sister or brother for them would be so nice and it would be our third. I mean, WE CAN TOTALLY HANDLE THIS.” My children stage a coup and remind me through their ridiculous fit throwing about what was offered for snack {who knew apple slices could be that offensive?}, what toy they need to share, what chore must be completed, or how many bites are required to finish before they are excused and I am all like, “NOPE. Never mind. I’m good with two.”

Kids, man. Now…please pass the slushy.

lindseylitzner
Lindsey is thrilled to be back home in Kansas. She grew up across from a cornfield in a little town just North of Wichita, met her husband in High School and their young love carried them through college. The two married after graduation & began the adventure of Medical School, Residency, and Fellowship that took them to 3 states (um, 7 moves!) in 10 years. During that time, Lindsey taught first grade until she had the first of two children and began her role as a stay-at-home mama. Recently, she turned her love of fashion & design into a consulting business. Lindsey credits her role as owner of Huck & Leni Personal / Interior Styling as allowing her to be true to herself as a woman & as a mama. She admits the balance is sometimes tricky, but hey...that's why there's coffee, right?

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