Wednesday: Mid-Week Ramblings—Learning from Shenanigans
“Mama loo-oo-k I made a big mess,” my daughter informs me with a sly grin as I open her door to wake her from her nap.
I was employed as a nanny for seven years before having two daughters of my own so I know all too well that children get pleasure from any reaction, even negative ones. I, however, did not know that they could learn to thrive off them. Her sideways smile, spark in the eye and musical tone she uses to inform me of these shenanigans tells me that she can.
When I let the worst get to me and react in frustration her game is over and the tears start to pour. Then I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, crawling ever so quietly across the room of her floor, sticking my head over the side of her bed, telling her I am so sorry I hurt her feelings and that she is my sunshine.
When I don’t let frustration get the worst of me, don’t allow myself to react, tell her the consequence of her latest misdeed and follow through, things tend to run more smoothly.
Later, when she can’t see me, I do have to laugh at her pride in the destruction that only she can make. Late at night, I still find myself crawling ever so quietly across the room of her floor, sticking my head over the side of her bed and telling her that she is my sunshine.
I was quite the know-it-all before entering motherhood thinking that being a nanny would automatically make me a pro at child rearing. I find my old attitude quite hilarious and now know I had no idea what I was getting into.
My girls are my sunshine and are helping me grow as a woman, which for me is the most challenging and rewarding part of motherhood. I sure love it.
Tags: motherhood
This is absolutely one of my favorite posts you have done! Thanks for sharing. I have found myself going in Van’s room well after she has fallen asleep just to tell her that I was sorry. It is hard being a Mother, but so rewarding all in the same breath.
I cried
This is so me. I totally get what you are saying. I have 3 beautiful girls. I was the 3rd oldest of 8 kids(the youngest one 18 yrs younger than me). I thought I had experience. Yeah, not so much. But I love it. All of it. Even the days I have to lock myself in the bathroom for a mommy time out.
The image of you crawling on the floor in the middle of the night to tell you little ones you love them brings tears to my eyes. You are awesome.
I couldn’t agree more and have done the exact same thing many times!! Thank you for sharing. What a wonderful gift your post was.
Isn’t it funny how we were all parenting experts BEFORE we became parents? I remember feeling so confident…and then our daughter entered the world…and disrupted our expectations (in a beautiful way, of course).