You NEED Mom friends. Seriously. And a lot of them. You need them to lean on, share stories with, laugh with, cry with, vent to, go on mom’s night out with, to just be like, “Yep, my kid does that too,” and for the ever important, “I am SO using that with my child!”
Get ‘em! They are the best thing ever.
My sweet friend taught me this and I am forever thankful for her wisdom…
My son is a caveman.
Yes, I said it. A CAVEMAN. Your child is too, and don’t forget it. I don’t care how cute, how darling, how brilliant, how wonderful you think s/he is, they are all little cavemen! Seriously. Cavemen. Their brains are forming constantly but when it all comes down to it, they grunt when frustrated, when tired, when sad, when happy, when pooping, when laughing, they grunt like cavemen. So next time they are making you nuttier than you already are, take a deep breath, look at them, smile and call them a caveman. You will feel a million times better. Really. Do it. It always makes me happy.
There will always be a mom out there that gets under your skin. Ignore her. Someone is always going to think they know what is best for your child, who is going to think that what you are doing is wrong, that their way is better. Some days it will be really REALLY hard to not let her have it. In some cases, you may need to speak your mind, but I have learned that in most cases, it is best to bite your tongue and carry on with your life. They are not worth it. Totally. Not. Worth. It. But, if all else fails – buy your kid this…
Second-hand rocks. Gosh I wish I had known that a year earlier! And if you do not have any consignment sales in your area (shocking to some, but really, some places do not have this awesomeness known as children’s consignment sales) then hit up yard sales, Craigslist, whatever means possible for second-hand items. So worth it! We got a practically brand new Cozy Coupe for $25 on Craigslist. And from the horror stories I have heard about the assembly of these things, we got a steal! Oh, and Mega Blocks, 400+ pieces for $5. Yep, you read that right, FIVE bucks. So if you don’t have the pleasure of having a consignment sale or shop in your area, totally look on Craigslist for some of the items you need/want. You may be surprised… and pleasantly so!
Play dates are not just for your child, although they are wonderful opportunities for your son or daughter to make lifelong friends. They are just as important for mom. It’s a time to be with those mommy friends I talked about in paragraph one up there. It’s a great time to watch your child interact and also the perfect time to realize that you are doing a GREAT JOB as a Mom. So, your child just threw sand at another kid. Guess what? Your friend’s kid just smacked that kid over there. Shrug your shoulders and go do a little reprimanding. That’s the only way they are going to learn. Turn around now and see your kid holding hands with another, helping one up who just fell down, or giving one a hug.
It’s the sweet circle of Mommyhood. Enjoy each moment because every up and down goes by so fast that if you focus too much on the negative you miss all the wonderful moments of your child being a child. Get in there and love with all your heart that bundle of joy you have no matter how much they make you crazy. They are your crazy and you wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Counting it all joy,
Angela
I am the mom of one rambunctious 3 and a half year old boy named Lucas who is the Energizer Bunny incarnate. He has a heart of gold, a girlfriend and future wife to boot! I am a blogger, amateur photographer and I laugh too loud when I find something funny.
Please check out my blog and my new website, Angela’s Heartwork where you can find my photography for sale. I do custom work, too, so feel free to email me – angelasheartwork@yahoo.com!
I met Angela on TheMommyhood.com. She’s a local blogger and really sweet and funny. I even ran into her at our local used bookstore recently. It was cool to meet in person. She’s good people.
Mom friends do rock! They encourage, listen to you whine (for just long enough), make you laugh, hold you accountable, and point you to resources. The one thing I wish I had had when my girls were growing up was a mom of older children to help me navigate waters she had already passed through. Having felt that way, and now a mom of two young adult daughters, I work at helping the younger moms in my circle, even if its a just hug and a
reminder that they will make it through.
Oh, and used clothes? Would have been LOST without them. My girls are now veteran thrift store shoppers, and are able to dress very nicely for very little money. Hooray for thrift!
Wow, your timing is great. I just came from my daughter’s school where I told a mom who has a child the same age and one older how much I appreciated her input because she’s ahead of me in the process.
She was lovely to talk to and I made a mental note today to pay it forward sometime.
I would love it if my kids turn into savvy thrift shoppers. What a great thing to teach your kids.
Thanks for your comment, Kim. Hope you have a too darn happy day!
Heather