As a Mother of Young Children

"Just enjoy them." 

As a mother of young children, I remember hearing this all the time!  Every time I heard it I would privately roll my eyes and think defensively, "Duh! I am enjoying them."  And I was.  I did.  I loved having my kids around me.  I loved the busyness and the constant chatter in the background. 

BUT...Being a mother of many young children was also really hard.  I remember going to bed some nights thinking, "What am I going to do tomorrow?"  I remember calling my mom crying because of a particularly challenging day.  I remember the child who would never sleep - - day or night - - and the child who never took a bottle.  I remember days in a row when someone would spill something at dinnertime. And there's the time I walked into my daughter's room ten minutes before church to find her entire body covered in Desitin!! Being a mother of young children is challenging!  

But all of those memories were just days, moments.

I have now been a mother for 17 years.  To some, my children are still very young.  Yet, I can look back at that time and recognize what I truly miss from those younger years. I'm beginning to better understand why people would tell me, "Just enjoy them."  

What I MISS from those younger years: 

Laughter coming from their bedroom.

Hugs and kisses (my teens just don't give these quite so readily!)

Play groups and park days.

Being needed constantly (hard to explain).

Complete control of my little brood - - in control of our schedule, their bedtime, our daily plans.

Childlike messes - the unfrozen otter pops cut open, the flour fight, the 2-year old getting eggs out of the fridge (thus all over the floor) - these are all just funny stories now!

Simple days.

The magic that only a child can bring to an ordinary day - - everything is new and exciting!

Quiet nights holding a baby (I appreciated this most with my current youngest).

Being forced to sit still to nurse a baby - best time to read a book! 

Cooking dinner with my children all around me (now they scatter!).

Halloween and Christmas are much more exciting with younger kids! 

Their childlike innocence and darling things they would say.

What I DON'T MISS from having younger children:

Car seats

Nursing

Walking the halls at church

I'm sure in another 17 years I will be doing the same about this particular stage, but for now...

 I'm just going to enjoy them.

 - - - - - 

“'Children are an heritage of the Lord' (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live....The family is ordained of God."  

The Family: A Proclamation to the World