Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Valentine’s Day is a week long for our family.  We love each other every day of the year, but Valentine’s Day is a fun way to kick the winter blues. The boys and I love to make cards for family and classmates, bake special treats and decorate our house with hearts of all sizes and colors.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, listed below are ten things I love about my kids:

1. I love Jack’s caring personality, like his mom.

2. I love Tate’s outgoing personality, like his dad.

3. I love when they learn something for themselves  – especially when I can see the moment on their faces. I can see their confidence grow, and I’m glad to help them figure out the world.

4. I love watching them play with their friends. I overhear them talking through the door and watch them play out the window. They play well with different kids and toys. I love watching them use their imaginations and the endless noises of laughter, wrecks, and imaginary explosion sounds they make with their mouths.

5. I love that they adapt well to change. I used to be stuck in my ways and obsessive. Being a parent has forced me to prioritize what is really important on any given day. The boys don’t sweat the small stuff, and it helps me accept that I don’t have to accomplish everything everyday. Watching them adapt to new environments has helped me realize being flexible can make life much more enjoyable.

6. I love their random hugs, kisses, and snuggles.  My kids are growing up quickly, and I know these gestures will be few and far between when they get older.  I take every opportunity when they cuddle up beside me to watch a movie.

7. I love when they laugh out loud at my humor.  I’m certain they’re the only people who consider me funny.

8. I love their kindheartedness and care for others.  When someone is upset they always try to help or find an adult who can.  I’m so thankful they acquired this trait. My kids display empathy, which makes me proud.

9. I love to dance with my kids. They have loved music since they were newborns.  We often have “dance parties” to cheer one of the boys up.  It’s a go-to trick my husband and I found helps them be silly and let out all their frenzy.

10. I love that my kids love me back.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
I understand that there are certain levels of expectation when it comes to parenting. Now everyone is connected on social media, and there’s pressure to keep your home life a little less private. One of my Facebook “friends” (who is someone I don’t actually know really well) posts constantly about her family. The truth is, she’s showing off. She’ll describe the perfect way her toddler behaves, share photos of the ingredients she’s using to make an elaborate meal, and preach to other moms about how they should be taking care of their little ones. It drives me crazy! We all know that nobody is perfect, so what is the point of pretending to be?

This sort of thing happens all the time—at least to me—in real life, too. I’m always telling my friends about Haley’s sleep issues and asking them how their kids are doing at night. Apparently everyone else’s kids are sleeping perfectly… without fail! That is what the mothers imply—until you do a little digging. If I mention something specific, like that Haley seems to get separation anxiety in the middle of the night, I’ll see a sudden flash of recognition and honesty when the mom says “My kid too actually.” This leaves me confused. I want to say, “I thought little Jaden slept all night without a peep!” But of course I don’t.

I wish we could all just be supportive of one another. I’m not perfect, but whatever gene it is that makes people want to appear flawless to others is dormant in my DNA. I assume other parents are doing the best they can, and I hope they think the same about my husband and me. I admit though I try not to care when I feel like others are judging, but there’s a certain sensitivity that comes along with parenting. The stakes are high, and you need to do a good job. But when our kids grow up, they won’t remember that dinner was cooked perfectly every night or that they made the cutest crafts from Pinterest. They’ll remember that their moms were there, and that they were loved.