When Kids Grow Up

As a parent we all want to treasure those moments when our children are little.  We love how they are constantly learning new things.  Everyday is a new adventure.  We get to have so much fun and get so much joy out of their experiences.  It is the joy of parenting.

The problem is they are growing up a little each day.  They know it is happening and are very eager to get to the next step.  As parents we just see our little baby playing and having fun.  Then BAM! suddenly it starts to set in to you they are growing up.  They are no longer a baby but they are learning to be more independent.

The hardest hit for me so far was realizing my daughter is a teen and she is really only 3 years away from being an adult.  It is hard to accept the fact that eventually she is going to be the one making all her choices and she will not have to listen to me about how to be careful or make sure you are doing this and that.  She is developing into a young lady and there is nothing I can do to stop what is happening.

Here is my advice.  Let them be little for as long as you can.  Do not force them to be older than they are.  They will grow up soon enough so let them go.  Let them get messy, be crazy, have lazy days, have pj day.  Soon enough they will have a fashion sense of their own, they will have activities they will need to attend to. They will worry if they look ok no matter what their fashion preference is. IT IS OK TO LET THEM BE LITTLE!  If your kid is not going potty at 1.5 do not let the parents who have kids at 1 using the potty get you down.  Chances are they are forcing their child before they are really ready and that could be scaring their kid.  Now if they are 5 in diapers then maybe you want to push a little more but even then maybe they are just late bloomers.  Lord knows my daughter is blooming far behind the other but I am ok with that.

The day will come that she has to be responsible and she will learn to get through it just like the rest of us have.  Soon enough I will be older and it will be her helping me make sure things are in order or I am getting around my house ok.  So for now I want her to be 14.  I want her to have 14 year old things to do.  I want her to look 14.  Soon enough she will be 18 and that is when it will time for her to look and act 18. Until then she is my little girl and I am not trying to rush a second of any of it.