Five Things My Kids Have Taught Me
Guest post by Keris
I knew that having children would be a life-changing experience, but I was thinking sleepless nights, worry, going out with sick on my shoulder. I didn’t realise they’d teach me things like this:
Slow down
I remember rushing Harry to along one day, constantly telling him to get a move on. He was looking at the moss on the wall, studying the traffic lights, gazing up at planes. Eventually I realised we weren’t actually in a hurry and that I’d find it much less stressful to go at his pace rather than force him to match mine.
Don’t hold grudges
If my husband speaks to me rudely I can stew about it for hours. If I tell either Harry or Joe off, they’ve forgotten about it – and are happily giving out cuddles – in minutes.
Why worry?
I spend a lot of time fretting about thing that may never happen. When a few of Harry’s closest friends left school and he seemed to be spending all his time playing with just one boy, I asked him what he’d do if that boy left too. He shrugged. “I’ll just play with someone else!”
Ditch the diet
Both boys drink when they’re thirsty, eat when they’re hungry and stop eating when they’re full. They don’t worry about getting their 5-a-day. They don’t fret about eating a biscuit because they had one the previous day and they don’t eat all the biscuits just because they’re there.
Be yourself
Harry wants bright pink waterproofs and a yellow hat with attached moustache (seriously). I suggested other children may tease him. He said, “But I like it so I’m going to wear it.”
I haven’t quite cracked all of the above yet, but I’m working on it. What have your children taught you?
Apart from so many other things, my children have taught me that nothing lasts forever, the good or the bad. I see them grow so fast and realise they will be teenagers before I know it and they wont want to sit on my lap for cuddles but will be out with their friends and that closeness and dependency will be gone (or replaced) but on the other hand when they havent slept all night and they are playing up with tantrums and I feel the day will never end, I remember these difficult days (which arent many) will not last forever and it is only a temporary thing. It helps me survive the ‘long’ days and treasure the ‘short’ ones with my beautiful and precious children
My children have taught me that I need to present mentally and physically. That they are pretty hardy. That life is beautiful. And that I am not the worst mother in the world.
I have learned what unconditional love looks like, when I look at my girls after I have been scolding them for something and they still look at me with big eyes and outstretched arms asking for a hug. And what pleasure giving is, time, attention, hugs and kisses, a hand, advice, food for thought. Great post, made me stop for a while and really think about my blessings. Thanks.