All too often we moms get together (online, in person, whatever) and the conversation naturally tends to flow toward things that drive us crazy about our kids (I’m the worst perpetrator). Sometimes I think this is absolutely necessary to keep your sanity as a mom. It can be unbelievably helpful to vent with other moms and hear that there are others out there whose kid won’t eat anything that’s not the color white, whose baby is not the only one not sleeping through the night. It makes you feel less lonely and less of a failure. However, there are often others hearing these conversations and like my friend thinking, “That whole parenthood thing does not sound like much fun. Why do people do that?”
This made me feel terrible. Truly. All too often I told her about the crying, the lack of sleep, the constant juggling of the needs of my other two kids. But what I didn’t tell her was how my heart melts every time I go to pick my little guy up from his nap and he gives me the biggest smile. Or how my oldest daughter has this special knack for making him belly laugh and the times the three of us can’t stop laughing together are often the best moments of my day. Or how every time Rich comes home and I see his face light up to see his son and make him smile, my own heart expands. Or how when my two year old wakes up in the morning and asks “where’s wittle buddy? Tan I hold him?” it makes it all worth it.
Kids are worth it. Spouses are worth it.
Both take a lot of work, but are definitely worth it. They are worth it because they bring the deepest, most satisfying kind of happiness this world can provide- the kind that comes from forgetting yourself and giving yourself completely to somebody else. It happens when you get married. It happens when you have kids.
A husband and kids have let more happiness into my life in the aggregate absolutely. But it’s not just day-to-day drudgery for some abstract sense of overall happiness (as you would maybe think hearing of how hard a mom’s day is). Day-to-day can be hard, absolutely, but there are a million little moments of pure bliss sent straight from heaven where your heart just wants to explode, that it’s worth it in the day-to-day also.
Yesterday, I went to get Ivy up from her nap, but she was still so grumpy I was thinking she maybe needed to go back to sleep for a little bit, so I took her out of her crib and cuddled with her on Ellia’s bed. She immediately curled up into me and fell back asleep. Watching her little face asleep in my arms- it felt like magic.
When my two youngest were napping, I read a book with Ellia. She was wearing a dress and I loved the feel of her soft bare legs, making her seem younger than she is. At one point in a silly moment of the book she turned and gave me her sweet Ellia smile and I loved her so much in that moment.
Maybe reading these things will help someone. But if not, it helped me to write them down to remember to make a case for my own kids 🙂
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I agree. It is completely worth it to have kids. Motherhood is the hardest but most rewarding job that I have ever had. Thanks for the reminder to pay more attention to the little moments throughout the day. 🙂
Thanks for this post Celeste! I needed it today. After having Parker, I feel like I’ve been in that mode of venting about the frustrations each day. But this helped me remember to look for the wonderful little moments with my boys that make everything so worth it!
It is easy and needed to talk about the hard parts of motherhood. I also wonder if it’s a cultural thing too.
Michael and I were in Italy in March, since I didn’t have my baby with me, I noticed all the other parent child interactions as a poor substitute for missing my own kid. Perhaps it’s the low birthrate, perhaps it’s la dulce vita, perhaps it’s the paid maternity leave, but Italians seemed to just really enjoy their children more than I’ve seen in America.
We were eating busy in a family owned restaurant. A little boy went back to his dad who was cooking and tugged on his sleeve. I thought, “oh his dad is busy cooking for everyone, he’ll push him away.” Instead the dad smiled at his son, put his pan aside and gave his son a big hug.
In a plaza a mom brought a picnic lunch and introduced her little 1 year old to the food she brought. It didn’t matter that lunch took a while longer, they were enjoying their food.
It seemed like Italian parents take time to keep that wonder and amazement about the little person they parent.
After that trip I’ve tried to keep that wonder alive that I have this little person that is half me. I try to slow down. I give him a hug and kisses every time I take him out of his carseat. I’m trying to be more mindful of my cellphone use around him. I’ll just sit in his room with him and see what happens. How he wants to play.
Sleeping through the night, eating food, a fully erupted molars certainly help the whole enjoying your kid process too 🙂
That’s so interesting Marilyn. I wonder what is different in Italian culture to make it that way?? Have you read Bringing up Bebe? That’s France, but still some interesting differences between American and European culture are brought up there.