Weekly Parenting Brain Dump – The Anti-Mommy War
This week the 2 older boys have been spending their evenings at VBS. It’s been a fun little break from our usual routine of swim meets, dinner drama, neighborhood walks and evening meltdowns. Joe and I have been taking full advantage of 2 fewer kids.
The other night we took the 2 littlest boys out for ice cream (OK Abel didn’t get any ice cream but he was present) and then grocery shopping. We remarked on how easy it was taking out just 2 kids. Yet, somehow my memory of life when we had just 2 didn’t seem to be so easy breezy.
This got me thinking. Obviously Joe and I have grown and learned a lot since we had just 2 kids. Our experiences make us wiser and like they say, “hindsight is 20/20”. It would be terribly easy for me to look at parents with only 2 children and say, “You have no idea how easy you have it.” But that would be a really jerk face thing to say and isn’t actually true.
I remember having 2 children and it was tough. In fact, having 1 child was tough. Each stage of our lives has it’s challenges. And what may seem easy for me may be terribly difficult for someone else (and visa versa). I’m trying to NOT forget about the struggles we faced as our family grew. I don’t want to be one of those old ladies that rolls my eyes when a toddler throws a temper tantrum in the middle of the store because once upon a time that was my toddler kicking and screaming.
Of course, I don’t want to glorify the hard times but remembering them helps me to be more empathetic. – I’ve been there, I know how tough it can be. How can I help?
This parenting stuff is tough and Joe and I have just started down this road… I hope and pray that God brings along experienced parents that will help guide us, comfort us and encourage us. People that will say, “Yes, this is hard but you can do it.”
And in return I hope to encourage new moms that yes, late night feeding are tough, you’re tired but you can do it. I want to be that voice that lifts up other moms, especially when we live in a society filled with social media mommy wars.
Speak life.
