Parenting 101

I was going to start by saying that there's no such thing, but in this day and age I'm sure there is a class for that, or at least an app for that!  Anyone who has had a child knows that anyone else that has had a child is in fact an expert.  I'm sure I've been guilty of giving more of my opinion than needed or wanted on the subject too.  I have observed, however, that when someone is offering a "lecture" on child rearing you can take a lot of it with a grain of salt.  (no offense) When you have a fellow mother who is sharing her struggles and frustrations and remedies you listen up and take some notes. 

There are of course some clear lines that we don't cross.  One of them involves duct tape. (much to the dismay of a few of my friends)  Of course there are some universal do's and don'ts.  The thing is that one set of rules are never going to work for all children or for all parents.  Some parents have some strict rules our of sheer necessity.  If mom and dad both have to get up and head out to work at 6 am the kids are not staying awake till 10 pm.  (like mine)

I am heading in a direction, honest.  When I was little I was a bed crasher.  I had 3 older siblings and almost every night I would wake up and crawl into bed with one of them.  My older sister Joan was my favorite.  She had the cool clock that that had the numbers drop and I could watch it!   I love that my brother and sisters let me crawl in bed with them and snuggle.  Those were precious memories that I love to think back on today. 

I have two little bed crashers.  I let them come in when they wander in at 3 am.  I know that not all parents do, but this is one thing that I don't want to fight about at that hour of the morning.  It goes deeper than that though.  Although I admittedly sometimes wake up cranky from the disrupted sleep and the knee in my back, or face, I love that my girls wake up and want to be close to me.  They crawl up and snuggle as close as they can to me and are back sleeping in less than a minute in most cases.  I wrap my arm around them partially because I love them and partially to keep my heart from bursting out of my chest.  These are going to be precious memories if not for them, for me.  I want them to remember that when they needed a little extra comfort mommy took them in her arms. 

One incredibly wise mom said to me "the days are long but the years are short".  Over and over you hear that it goes way to fast.  You blink and your little ones are grown.  I have heard this so many times and in so many ways that I did listen and take note.  I didn't get the best sleep last night, but I got some great snuggles from my girls.  I know full well that in a few years running to mommy for comfort will probably not be their first thought.  For now it is, and for now I choose to forgo a little sleep for a little snuggle. 

Precious memories.  I have quite a few.  I have great memories of all my older sisters gave to me and certainly all the love the flowed out of every pore of my dad.  I'm not a perfect mom and will never be....but I learned how to love, and THAT I can give.