Ever wake up one day and realise your kids might not need you anymore? It should make you happy and proud seeing just how much they've grown up but it's that heart-sinking feeling whenever they reject your help because they're old enough to do it themselves. This is one of the little things they don't tell you about parenting.
A sentimental mother gains a lot of attention for her Reddit post as she reminisces of a time when her children were younger, smaller and still believed in Santa Clause. Just as any parent might have experienced, these little moments quickly pass in what seems like a blink of an eye.
This was her way of letting other parents know just how precious the mundane things in parenthood actually are.
'String of goodbyes that you don’t realise are goodbyes'
For stay-at-home moms, you might take for granted the little things your children ask you to do for them as well as other home responsibilities like preparing their food, bringing them to school or tucking them to bed at night. Regular everyday life moments you spent looking after them when they were young that you will soon realise you never get to have again.
While these would normally have left you tired and worn out at the end of the day, you still feel fulfilled as a mother. And later on, when they stop coming to you for snacks or a bedtime story, you'll miss it. What would even be more devastating is how you never realise when a moment lasts and is gone forever.
As the Reddit poster mentioned, one of the things they don't tell you is "how devastating the process is" once you see your children become adults.
New and different versions of them
Another hard pill to swallow, the post points out, is how different your child would be from when they were 7 years old as compared to when they were in their teens or even as adults. These are many different versions of them that you will come to discover and struggle to catch up with but love all the same.
Because as how time and life work, children do grow up. You will wake up one morning and find that they don't need your help as much anymore. They are no different to you as an adult who can do things on their own.
Of course, there are still instances where they would still need your help but these would still be entirely different as to when they only kids.
Cherish each and every moment
When you watch your kids turn into the young adults they are now, you start asking yourself when was the last time you ever just snuggled up close with them as their favourite cartoon played. It may be sad and leave you feeling so 'lost', as the mother in her post said, but it also makes you cherish these as precious moments you won't forget.
You may never get those little versions of them again but that should not stop you from remembering everything you have done together as a child. There were moments that were tough and difficult as a parent but you should not forget the happy ones that has nurtured allowed your child to grow into who they are now.
"So if you’re a young parent, especially a stay at home one, know this is coming. No one warned me, so I’m doing you a solid. I hope," the post notes. "Or, if you’re a young adult who has left home and you had a mother or father or other relatives who stayed home, know they miss you—all the versions of you—like crazy and they’ve probably gone through some grief in letting you go. Maybe send ‘em a text letting them know you love ‘em!"
ALSO READ:
Creative Parenting: How I Survive Working From Home With My Child
Parenting Tips and Role of Family in Mental Health of Children