PARENTING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
My Top Pieces of Advice for Parents
I don’t usually give advice (unless it’s legal advice), because I believe we all have our own journeys and our own answers within. However, I myself have often been heard to say “I wish I’d known that when I was….”, especially in the realm of parenting. Hindsight is 20/20 they say. My children are now 15 and 12, so I have some hindsight vision to share. So, just in case there’s someone out there that is wondering about some of these things…. here are my top pieces of advice for parents. I hope this serves …
- When they ask you to play, do it – while you may think they need a lot of your time, they really only need a short time and then move on to something else.
- This too shall pass – everything
- By the time they are 12 or 13 they will be telling you to go away, so savour the “Mom, I need you!” moments
- The infant phase IS all consuming – and it will go by faster than you can even remember (especially because you are sleep deprived and your memory is shot)
- Which reminds me, take pictures, it’s the only way you’ll remember much
- Be in the pictures even if you think you look a mess – you’ll look back on even your messy days with fondness
- You will change when you have kids (for the better)
- As a parent of a newborn you will catch your own reflection in the mirror one day and wonder who that person is
- Lowered expectations = more contentment (ie. when they are infants, getting a shower is an accomplishment)
- You know your child best, follow your intuition, always
- Talk about embarrassing stuff all the time, that way when you have to explain to your teen what oral sex is neither of you will be shocked
- It’s true what they say about the most difficult kids being the ones that need the most love
- They will grow up faster than you can imagine – really, the saying “they grow up too fast”, that you think is crazy when they are toddlers, really is more truer than true.
- When you are crazy bored playing toddler imaginary play with them, take that time to study their sweet faces, their mannerisms, how their hair curls around their ears, how their eyes twinkle…
- Buy all the same colour socks so you don’t have to find matches
- You can never pack too many diapers
- They WILL eventually sleep through the night, but it may take years not months
- You on the other hand, will NEVER sleep through the night again, unless you’re in a hotel room alone
- Just about all your parenting friends have clean clothes/towels in laundry baskets that never get into drawers
- Never negotiate with a teenager who hasn’t eaten breakfast yet
- They WILL eventually learn to use the bathroom on their own – I guarantee it!
- There will be plenty of time for working after they are grown, so if you have the chance to work part time when they are young, do it!
- THEY GROW UP SO FAST!
- THEY GROW UP SO FAST!
- THEY GROW UP SO FAST!
Share your hindsight insights – what would you add to this list?