Favorite Stage of Parenting
My nephew recently asked what my favorite stage of parenting has been. No one in the room had a straight answer. It was, "they are all great" or "I don't know."
I think this is because as parents we don't cherish the stages, we cherish the moments. The moment when your newborn looks at you and smiles. The moment when they say their first words. The moment when they take their first step. The moment when you take their picture for the first day of school. The moment when we got our first family puppy and the look of love on my child's face just took my breath away.
My children are 12 and 8. The things I cherish now are the ordinary moments when I'm admiring them and who they've become. At every stage my 12 year old has amazed me. He was talking in full sentences by 2 years old. He could remember how to get places at 4 years old. When he was 5 he had no interest in learning his numbers and alphabet. The summer before he started kindergarten, our nanny would work on these things every day. He had a hard time picking up how to read that year and I thought maybe he was dyslexic. It turns out he just didn't want to! When he did start to read he excelled in that as well.
The stages of growing up are so interesting and fun to watch as a parent. I love the eureka moments when your child finally grasps something. That's what I cherish. And then, when they excel in something they really love and have their successes in life. Reading, math, hockey (yes, we are a hockey family), karate, swimming...whatever it might be. We let my son take the wheel of the mower at 9 years old. He didn't always cut it straight, but he was so proud he was able to do it. Now, 3 years later he cuts it straight, but it's not as exciting for him (or me - now I have to pay him to do it!)
The newest thing for him is learning to cook. Slowly we've been teaching him how to use the gas stove. He has made mac and cheese and ramen noodles. That's great and all, but you won't be able to sustain yourself on that for very long! When we were at my sister's house, my nephew was making homemade pizza (he is a grown adult - my sister is a LOT older than I am) and Sam wanted to help. He got to chop, roll dough, spread sauces and make one of his own pizzas for everyone. He loved every minute of it. He came home and has asked to help make dinner. Gotta love it!!!! I just need to get him a knife that won't chop his fingers off.
This year one of his new firsts will be hunting. He got his gun safety permit and is now able to hunt. I can't wait to see his face after his first harvest.
Cherish the moments, the stages, the failures and the successes. Every moment may not be one you want to put in the family picture book, but cherish those moments that are and imprint them in your brain as it is connected to your heart. It will get you through the tough moments of parenting where you have to explain why hitting your little sister isn't ok, the smart mouth, the "I hate you's" because you don't let them do what their friends are allowed to do. In those moments, I have to take a breath and remember something good so as not to lose it and think 'who is this kid?" LOL
I think this is because as parents we don't cherish the stages, we cherish the moments. The moment when your newborn looks at you and smiles. The moment when they say their first words. The moment when they take their first step. The moment when you take their picture for the first day of school. The moment when we got our first family puppy and the look of love on my child's face just took my breath away.
My children are 12 and 8. The things I cherish now are the ordinary moments when I'm admiring them and who they've become. At every stage my 12 year old has amazed me. He was talking in full sentences by 2 years old. He could remember how to get places at 4 years old. When he was 5 he had no interest in learning his numbers and alphabet. The summer before he started kindergarten, our nanny would work on these things every day. He had a hard time picking up how to read that year and I thought maybe he was dyslexic. It turns out he just didn't want to! When he did start to read he excelled in that as well.
The stages of growing up are so interesting and fun to watch as a parent. I love the eureka moments when your child finally grasps something. That's what I cherish. And then, when they excel in something they really love and have their successes in life. Reading, math, hockey (yes, we are a hockey family), karate, swimming...whatever it might be. We let my son take the wheel of the mower at 9 years old. He didn't always cut it straight, but he was so proud he was able to do it. Now, 3 years later he cuts it straight, but it's not as exciting for him (or me - now I have to pay him to do it!)
The newest thing for him is learning to cook. Slowly we've been teaching him how to use the gas stove. He has made mac and cheese and ramen noodles. That's great and all, but you won't be able to sustain yourself on that for very long! When we were at my sister's house, my nephew was making homemade pizza (he is a grown adult - my sister is a LOT older than I am) and Sam wanted to help. He got to chop, roll dough, spread sauces and make one of his own pizzas for everyone. He loved every minute of it. He came home and has asked to help make dinner. Gotta love it!!!! I just need to get him a knife that won't chop his fingers off.
This year one of his new firsts will be hunting. He got his gun safety permit and is now able to hunt. I can't wait to see his face after his first harvest.
Cherish the moments, the stages, the failures and the successes. Every moment may not be one you want to put in the family picture book, but cherish those moments that are and imprint them in your brain as it is connected to your heart. It will get you through the tough moments of parenting where you have to explain why hitting your little sister isn't ok, the smart mouth, the "I hate you's" because you don't let them do what their friends are allowed to do. In those moments, I have to take a breath and remember something good so as not to lose it and think 'who is this kid?" LOL
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