I have reached a mommy milestone. I’m good!
For the first time in my five years of being a mom, I’m okay with where I am in motherhood.
I’m going to be honest for a second— I was very nervous about becoming a mom. I took motherhood very seriously, and I think I felt the need to obtain perfection early on.
There is no such thing as a perfect mom, or perfect person for that matter, and I’ve learned in my quest that the process is just as important as the result. My children’s learning and growing are just as important as the measurable skills they obtain. I mean, I was determined to make my kids early readers, lovers of nature, and great decision-makers all before the age of five. I now know that each day doesn’t have to be packed with intentional learning, and every day will bring its own life lessons.
My quest for perfection included mapping out every hour of the day, preparing curriculums for breaks, and almost completely changing my diet. All of these were great things, but as my children are four and five this year, I just want to enjoy who they are.
My five-year-old continues to amaze me. He is so tall! He is extremely helpful and very inquisitive. I’m discovering that he is learning just as much walking around the block as he is at the kitchen table with me completing workbooks.
My four-year-old is very witty. People who meet her say that she has an old soul. I’m just amazed at her understanding of people and emotions, as well as the things she comes up with to stay out of trouble.
Right now, to me, they are perfection. No, they are not perfect, but I just want to appreciate them at this stage of life before it’s gone.
Part of this shift is that they are going to “big kid school” this year. Last year, both were enrolled in Pre-K, but I decided not to keep them enrolled due to the pandemic. My oldest is going to kindergarten this year, and I feel like they are officially no longer babies. From what other moms tell me, it’s all homework and after school-activities from here. That sounds exhausting! Additionally, I have returned to work full-time, and the time we spend together is so much more precious. I just want to take in who they are at this stage of life.
So, I’m good. I’m good on perfection this year. I’m good on trying to make sure they are just as busy at home as they would be at a school/camp, and I’m good on overdoing it. Instead, I hope our quality time is great, whether our days are well-planned or completely unscripted!
