One of those days...
A big week of 'firsts' for us this week!
My Big Girl started school and Little Girl is supposed to start kindy this week!
But today my Big Girl is sick on her second day and Little Girl has been sick too.
And I'm also sick.
Our house is filled with wailing and coughing. We've been slammed with sickness since Baby Boy was 1 week old. There hasn't been a day since then that we've all been 100%. I feel like bathing in Dettol.
But things will be a bit easier this term, I thought, as I tried to calm Baby Boy (while his big sister shrieked in terror as the toddler chased her around the couch with a baseball bat).
Yes, things will be easier.
They say when you become a parent, you become more patient. Well, I seem to have plenty of patience when there are a lot of witnesses around. I get frustrated by the smallest things. My five-year-old takes forever to eat food. She just kind of stores the food up in her cheeks like a squirrel. It is excruciating to watch. No amount of coaxing, encouragement or warnings can speed things up. Apparently, I was the same when I was a little kid. My parents made me sit there at the table long after everyone else had left to try to get me to eat my food. But, I must have had oodles of patience back then because I just happily sat there until they gave up. Not even their threats of no TV worried me. I didn't like TV. They had no leverage! I out-stubborned them. I must have been the most annoying kid ever. So, when I complain to my mum about the slow eating, she just laughs. Payback time! I bet she secretly (or not so secretly?) loves it. And I don't blame her!
It seems that when you become a parent, all your flaws are exposed. Not only exposed, but magnified! It's mortifying. You are tested and tested and tested. You are pushed and pushed and pushed to your limits and then some. I guess, it's the real test of true character. How can you really be patient if you've never had to watch your child eat their meal in slow motion? When you've never had to feed four people before you get to eat your own food? Can you really be gracious if you haven't had your teething toddler throw explosive tantrums while you're trying to get the baby to sleep? Is it possible to possess the quality of gentleness when you haven't had to deal with children screaming and flailing around on the floor?
Motherhood is the purifying fire. It is refining me and it's changing me. It is humbling me. How many times did I tell myself and others that when I become a mum I won't do this and I definitely wouldn't do that. Oh, I had a lot to say. But let me tell you, now that I've had 5 years of experience and 3 children, I am speechless. Want to feed your baby to sleep? You want to use a dummy? Or perhaps you let your kids watch a lot of TV while you recover from your newborn baby's feeding frenzy?
OK! *thumbs up*
I've realized that sometimes it is just plain survival. Sometimes you do what you've got to do to get through the day. Sometimes it's a whole day packed with the big 'no-no's. Whatever. These bad habits can be fixed. It might take some effort, but you can fix them. I know that from experience. When you're in a good head space and have the determination to see it through, you can face it and change it.
I will be forever thankful for God's overflowing grace while I fumble and stumble along this motherhood path. I love my children dearly, I do. But today has been difficult. I am glad it is nearly over. It's okay to have bad days. I'm only human.
Tomorrow is another day. Onwards and upwards! xx
My Big Girl started school and Little Girl is supposed to start kindy this week!
But today my Big Girl is sick on her second day and Little Girl has been sick too.
And I'm also sick.
Our house is filled with wailing and coughing. We've been slammed with sickness since Baby Boy was 1 week old. There hasn't been a day since then that we've all been 100%. I feel like bathing in Dettol.
But things will be a bit easier this term, I thought, as I tried to calm Baby Boy (while his big sister shrieked in terror as the toddler chased her around the couch with a baseball bat).
Yes, things will be easier.
They say when you become a parent, you become more patient. Well, I seem to have plenty of patience when there are a lot of witnesses around. I get frustrated by the smallest things. My five-year-old takes forever to eat food. She just kind of stores the food up in her cheeks like a squirrel. It is excruciating to watch. No amount of coaxing, encouragement or warnings can speed things up. Apparently, I was the same when I was a little kid. My parents made me sit there at the table long after everyone else had left to try to get me to eat my food. But, I must have had oodles of patience back then because I just happily sat there until they gave up. Not even their threats of no TV worried me. I didn't like TV. They had no leverage! I out-stubborned them. I must have been the most annoying kid ever. So, when I complain to my mum about the slow eating, she just laughs. Payback time! I bet she secretly (or not so secretly?) loves it. And I don't blame her!
It seems that when you become a parent, all your flaws are exposed. Not only exposed, but magnified! It's mortifying. You are tested and tested and tested. You are pushed and pushed and pushed to your limits and then some. I guess, it's the real test of true character. How can you really be patient if you've never had to watch your child eat their meal in slow motion? When you've never had to feed four people before you get to eat your own food? Can you really be gracious if you haven't had your teething toddler throw explosive tantrums while you're trying to get the baby to sleep? Is it possible to possess the quality of gentleness when you haven't had to deal with children screaming and flailing around on the floor?
Motherhood is the purifying fire. It is refining me and it's changing me. It is humbling me. How many times did I tell myself and others that when I become a mum I won't do this and I definitely wouldn't do that. Oh, I had a lot to say. But let me tell you, now that I've had 5 years of experience and 3 children, I am speechless. Want to feed your baby to sleep? You want to use a dummy? Or perhaps you let your kids watch a lot of TV while you recover from your newborn baby's feeding frenzy?
OK! *thumbs up*
I've realized that sometimes it is just plain survival. Sometimes you do what you've got to do to get through the day. Sometimes it's a whole day packed with the big 'no-no's. Whatever. These bad habits can be fixed. It might take some effort, but you can fix them. I know that from experience. When you're in a good head space and have the determination to see it through, you can face it and change it.
I will be forever thankful for God's overflowing grace while I fumble and stumble along this motherhood path. I love my children dearly, I do. But today has been difficult. I am glad it is nearly over. It's okay to have bad days. I'm only human.
Tomorrow is another day. Onwards and upwards! xx
You are a beautiful soul Mariet! I love you and I love your blog xx
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad to have you along for the ride x
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