EVERY DAY IS A NEW CHAPTER
Written by: Sheree Hoddinett
Do you remember those choose your own adventure books from when you were a kid? Where you had the choice of a couple of different scenarios, each leading to a different path you could follow in the book? Admittedly I used to skip back if I didn’t like the first choice I made where it all ended badly and I’d go again. Sometimes I wish there was an option like this for parenting. Those days where you say yes instead of no or vice versa and end up with what can only be described as the worst day ever? I know there’s plenty more to come but it certainly doesn’t detract from the “fun” of right now! With a 5-year-old going on 15 and her 3-year-old sister tearing up a path of destruction most days, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I did make a wrong turn somewhere along the way!
You don’t realise you have the patience of a saint until you’re dealing with something your child has done that is out of this world. Or when no one admits to who the culprit truly is. “I don’t know”, “it wasn’t me” or “what are you talking about?” roughly translates as it was no one or someone else did it. Sound familiar out there?! I always tell friends who have kids younger than mine that I’m not going to lie to them, it doesn’t get any easier, well as far as I can tell anyway. Each new age bracket tends to bring with it a whole new set of challenges and teaches me so much more about what I must have put my parents through. They say life goes around and around in circles, feels like the story of my life these days.
I never hide how my kids make me feel, I don’t see the point. I love them dearly but there are also days where they drive me crazy and I’m far from their biggest fan. But I know I also forget they are just little and still need me to do things for them. It just isn’t helpful when that happens to be when I’m in the shower or even on the toilet! And to them it’s always got to happen this very instant! It’s funny how you long for them to do so many things independently, but I know when the day arrives they don’t need mummy anymore, I’ll feel the pull of sadness too! You can never win; this mum guilt thing just never goes away!
It all does go by very fast, although it may not feel like it when you’re dealing with a not so sleepy child at 1am. Or hoping for your sick child to get better and not having to clean up more vomit from the bed, floor or someone’s hair. There’s always something and that’s what we deal with because that’s what mums (and dads) are all about! We put aside our own selfish wants and needs (most of the time) to do what is best for our kids. Okay I’ll admit I have plenty of “me” moments, they just happen to take place at night time where I consume all the chocolate I can and watch all the shows I can that isn’t Bluey on repeat! Although I have to say I don’t mind that show too much. Bandit is a pretty cool laid back dad for a dog and he lets those daughters of his (Bluey and Bingo) have pretty much all the fun they can! If you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favour, it’s a funny show and well worth it!
You don’t get many wins as a parent. In fact, it’s rare. It’s not hard to see why, given you have to be the bad guy on so many occasions. Saying no all the time, ignoring the full blown chaos that surrounds you when a child doesn’t get their own way and just dealing with all the fun that parenting brings. I knew what I was signing up for, don’t get me wrong, but that doesn’t make it any easier! But when you have a little win, maybe even acknowledgment from your offspring that you’re now so bad, it just makes everything so much better, I think!
Check out the rest of my adventures with my beautiful little girls via my blog at www.shereekim.com. You never know, it might just make your day a little brighter!
Until next time…