Those "Perfectly Ordinary Days"
My moleskine's all filled up with my kids' memorable quotes, i realize i have passed the stage of the "innocent" with our youngest having entered big school already.
Recently, I read a blog of an American dad who was candid in saying that life raising his two young children wasn't easy and that parents with older kids should stop telling him to make the most of his days with his kids because time flies so very quickly. I felt a tinge of guilt reading his post and wondered if I was being insensitive saying that often to my younger mom friends. I've been there- running on almost zero sleep, spending what seemed to be endless days changing nappies and breastfeeding, power struggle sessions with toddlers, caring for the kids when they're sick. I know it was tiring, those first years of the kids' lives, and I look back at the years thinking either "Wow, I had so much energy then!" then "How did I manage to do that and come out of it alive?"But now having two teens and a 7 year old, growing up so fast, I really have no better advice to the younger moms and dads than that. This video showing author, Katrina Kenison, doing a live reading of excerpts from her book, "The Gift of An Ordinary Day" expresses it all.So for those with young babies and kids, I'm sorry to have to tell you again, this is probably not the first time you will hear it: Cherish those moments with your children. If it is a challenging, tiring period, just do your best and know that stages of mommyhood change so fast. If it is happy time, relish it, remember it, savor it.As I go through my own journey as a mom, I have learned some ways to create, cherish and holding on to more moments during "perfectly ordinary days" with my family:Take a mental picture.I've experienced how my son transformed from the most malambing, clingy child one day to an independent teen the next, in the blink of an eye, without warning. Sowhen I'm with my kids and I see moments that touch my heart, I consciously take a step back and take a mental photo, ordering myself "to remember this day forever." Moments like these are captured on camera but many more are stored forever in my mommy memory bank:).
Hold back on the parenting.Sometimes we tend to be too focused on making our kids behave, we get obsessed with making sure they have good manners, dont hurt each other, follow our rules. So when they start horsing around, sometimes I try to just breathe, count to ten and think- if what they are doing will not really cause permanent harm or damage to property ie burning down the house, then let them be, let them play, fool around, and i just keep my mouth shut even if i am aching to say "Guys, pleeeaassse behave...".
Katrina says, "we can't change our children, we can only change ourselves...See everyday what's already good in each of them and love that...because any moment now you will be hugging a daughter who is already a woman....too soon they really are gone." Sometimes, we have to hold back on the parenting to really know and love our children as they are.
Play.Specially when the kids get a bit older, sometimes life gets too busy (and too serious!). In our home, we believe that one is never too old to play! Creating these moments like playing a board game, crafts, dancing together, walking the dog gives us time to interact freely with each other. PLaying together also allows us parents to be "real people" with our kids- not necessarily "mom" or "dad" so our children get to know a different side of us other than the one who bathes them, feeds them, and takes care of them.
Celebrate every day.Car rides to school
When they get home
When you catch them being creative
Then they show off their creations
When you make meals at home special
And they thank you for cooking their favorites.
Make daily, mundane moments count because things can go from this
to this quite quickly.
That's what Del Monte reminds us of in their latest tv commercial. Even every day Merienda Moments are special if you wish it to be so.Someone said that in parenting "the days are long but the years are short". While time slips by, accept that motherhood is a journey from one milestone to another, one challenge to another, one emotion to another. Like with anything in life, it is what you make it. See each day as a blessing, every bonding moment as a gift, every challenge as a teachable moment, then our days we have with our children are not only precious experiences but are priceless memories within reach.
P.S. I'm sentimental again because of this great #spaghetti face of Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce! Thank you Del Monte for making My Mundo part of this campaign to celebrate #meriendamoments with our kids!!