Guess what?! You can be a great mom, even if you’re not a “little kid person.”
That’s me. I’m not a little kid person. Yikes! Taboo subject! Before you come at me, I love so much about the little kid stage. I love when they are still small enough to rock and pick up. I love (and hate) that they are brutally honest and ask questions I would have never thought of. Their imagination is endless, and I’m an awe of the simple way they see the world. They are truly amazing humans. I would never wish away my children’s little kid stages. Some of my best memories are of that time.
Here’s the thing, besides my own kids, I’ve only ever been able to take little kids in doses. Yes, I think your baby is wonderful, but I’m not sad to hand them back and go get a full night’s sleep. Yes, your toddler is so cute and funny, but no, I do not miss the tantrums, potty-training, and teaching them to sleep in a big human bed. I have never been a fan of getting on the floor and playing. I will do it, and put a smile on my face, but I will be faking patience the whole way. As we all know; a big part of motherhood is learning and trying our best, because we love our kids.
As good-intentioned people sometimes do, I would get told, “oh, you’ll miss this someday.” I have a 7 and (almost) 16 year old, both girls, and I’m here to say, no I will not. I love the humans they are becoming. I love that I can hold a “real” conversation with them. I love that as they get older, they are into some of the same things I’m into. We love watching/going to the movies, getting our nails done, eating at our favorite restaurants, shopping, vacationing, and hanging by the pool (without holding onto them or having to be in the pool, too). I love their independence and ability to entertain themselves or each other. Let’s face it moms, we get a lot more done as they get older.
I feel like there is a lot of pressure on mothers to love every stage that their kids are in, and that is just unrealistic. Everyone is different, and we all parent differently. Sometimes, we’re not going to love every stage and transition our kids go through. And that’s okay! Are we ever going to let them see it? I sure hope not. Are we going to love them and be involved at every stage? Absolutely yes.
A frequent question I get, is if we are going to have a third, and do that little kid thing again. In the words of Kim Kardashian, “It’s just never been my thing, not into it, so not approved by me.” It’s also just medically impossible; I just wanted an excuse to quote Kim!
