The other night I went to my dreaded dental appointment and chit chatted with my dentist about kids. (sidebar: Am I really this old that I am talking with others about kids !? LOL) Any how, we talked about how one of his kids will be graduating college and the other finishing their freshman year in college this year. He said to me it goes so, so fast. I replied with the standard, "sure, but some days are quite long right?" He chuckled and said, " yes, but those YEARS just go faster and faster."
This got me thinking. I am in the thick of a spicy six year old. It's a constant battle of no patience on both of our ends. Some days I think to myself, "how on earth have I failed here?" I feel like I am in a constant push and pull with him. My husband and I are his playmates. He's in a stage where he would rather have us play a game with him, build with him, play super heroes with him, than play quietly on his own. We don't mind it too much, but we don't get a break either and when we express to him we just want to have a cup of coffee, he gets annoyed!! Or disappointed? How are all these emotions coming out of a six year old? !!!
I know a lot of it, we created ourselves. He's an only child who does not want for a thing.We enjoy buying him things we know he really wants and signing him up for things that I know he will enjoy. My husband and I try our best to give him the most fun filled, active, loved life we can. But there are days where I have to wonder do we give too much? Is this why we both get frustrated? Is spending all of our time with him, actually not beneficial? Some of the best family units I know, spend tons of time together. So it really can't be that, right?
I recently chatted with a girlfriend of mine about how I am not sure how to teach him patience. She basically asked could it even be something you teach? Funny, because I don't actually know. I do know I had all these "ideas" on how parenthood would be (exhausting but worth it : check:), how my child would act (calm, sweet, respectful at ALL times : sometimes is more like it, thankfully when it really counts) and how I would be as a mom (tough but soft : I think I am nailing that part) but in reality, it's all up in the air most days.
Clearly none of us have it figured out. We have to do what works best to fit the mold of OUR family unit. Since there are many versions of that these days, you do what you can to make it work. Some of us have many hands on deck and a LARGE village to raise our kids. Some of us, like my husband and I, have a village, but they are from a distance. We make it work with our little trio.
It's sad to think we are in the thick of "growing pains" now and in a few years, I will look back and think how fast this all went. Once he's a teenager, we will no longer be cool to him and he will want his own space. I am going to just soak it in now. Till then !
This got me thinking. I am in the thick of a spicy six year old. It's a constant battle of no patience on both of our ends. Some days I think to myself, "how on earth have I failed here?" I feel like I am in a constant push and pull with him. My husband and I are his playmates. He's in a stage where he would rather have us play a game with him, build with him, play super heroes with him, than play quietly on his own. We don't mind it too much, but we don't get a break either and when we express to him we just want to have a cup of coffee, he gets annoyed!! Or disappointed? How are all these emotions coming out of a six year old? !!!
I know a lot of it, we created ourselves. He's an only child who does not want for a thing.We enjoy buying him things we know he really wants and signing him up for things that I know he will enjoy. My husband and I try our best to give him the most fun filled, active, loved life we can. But there are days where I have to wonder do we give too much? Is this why we both get frustrated? Is spending all of our time with him, actually not beneficial? Some of the best family units I know, spend tons of time together. So it really can't be that, right?
I recently chatted with a girlfriend of mine about how I am not sure how to teach him patience. She basically asked could it even be something you teach? Funny, because I don't actually know. I do know I had all these "ideas" on how parenthood would be (exhausting but worth it : check:), how my child would act (calm, sweet, respectful at ALL times : sometimes is more like it, thankfully when it really counts) and how I would be as a mom (tough but soft : I think I am nailing that part) but in reality, it's all up in the air most days.
Clearly none of us have it figured out. We have to do what works best to fit the mold of OUR family unit. Since there are many versions of that these days, you do what you can to make it work. Some of us have many hands on deck and a LARGE village to raise our kids. Some of us, like my husband and I, have a village, but they are from a distance. We make it work with our little trio.
It's sad to think we are in the thick of "growing pains" now and in a few years, I will look back and think how fast this all went. Once he's a teenager, we will no longer be cool to him and he will want his own space. I am going to just soak it in now. Till then !
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