Parenting vs. Time

Parenting can be monotonous. Oops! Did I just say that out loud? It’s true and anyone who’s had a baby knows it. We’ve all had those days when going to the park and watching your toddler go down the curvy slide one more time is enough to make you scream.

Yesterday I caught the eye of my neighbor as he sat watching his two year old twin boys playing in his backyard. He had that look on his face and I knew he wanted to say he was feeling tired of the routine, but instead, he smiled and commented on how boys are always drawn to the messiest part of the yard. I smiled back recalling all the days I sat watching my girls playing in my yard and wishing for the time when life would get interesting again.

Yes, my babies made me smile and I love them more than life itself but the reality of being the parent of young babies is the days can blend into each other and time can feel as if it completely stops. I think just knowing other parents feel the same way can help you feel better. It’s not that we don’t love our children and want to be with them but it’s one of those things about parenting that people don’t readily admit to. Like everything, sometimes it’s tough to repeat the same routine day after day and with your children, sometimes you don’t see the big changes until they hit a milestone like walking or starting preschool.

Last week I brought my youngest daughter to high school to start her freshman year. I burst into tears as she and her older sister got out of the car. Visions of them as my little babies flashed in front of me and I can’t stop wondering where the time has gone. They are young women now with their own likes and dislikes but I can still see them sitting in the backyard, having a tea party or playing in their kiddie pool.

I used to hate it when people told me to “cherish the baby years” but suddenly, your children are driving and heading off to college. I say suddenly because in hindsight, it really feels like that. Time is fleeting and our children grow up fast. So, enjoy the days when all you have to do is watch them slide down the slide for the hundredth time because soon you won’t see them all day and you’ll wonder how they got from the park to high school so fast.