When you’re wrist deep in dirty diapers, completely sleep deprived, and trying to maintain some sense of sanity, it can be tough to realise just how much you enjoy your child’s first year or so. In fact, you may even deny it all together and anxiously await the day your baby reaches the toddler years.
But before you go out and praise the “terrible twos” and “threenager” phases of your child’s development, you should take the time to look back fondly on those first few years. Yes, they were a lot of hard work but think back really hard and you’ll find that there are more than a handful of things you’re gonna miss about your child being a baby.
Whether your baby is just reaching the toddler stage, or you like to reminisce on an another time, this list is perfect for reflecting on the things that parents grow to miss as their children grow older!
1. Baby fat
A healthy chubby baby has the power to turn in parents in mush and the ability to induce a room full of “D’awwwwws” from just about anyone. That’s why the first thing on this list is baby fat. Seeing those fat rolls on your child’s arms, wrists, fingers, legs, thighs–anywhere, really– is simply the cutest thing ever, and knowing that your chubby bundle of joy has grown and that weight has distributed can have you thinking back to a pudgier time. Sure, your kid may look healthier now, but there’s no doubt that parents miss that baby fat once it’s gone.
2. Random shouts of pure happiness
Kids are certainly capable of displaying unrestrained enthusiasm, but is there anything cuter than when a baby lights up a room with a smile and joyously shouts an adorable baby scream of happiness? I think not. As kids grow older they’ll be encouraged to use words to express their emotions, happiness included, but when your child is a baby the best they can do is jubilantly squeal as if they were about to pop! And, honestly, you’re going to miss it when those days are over.
3. Cute clothes
As your kids grow older, their willingness to parade around town wearing adorable onesies is more than likely to decrease drastically. That’s why a lot of parents tend to miss the days of dressing their children in tiny, adorable outfits. Not to mention that your older kids tend to be messy and your laundry duties will double as they adventure and play around. But…when they were babies, everything was perfectly fine. Goodbye, tiny socks and overalls…*sigh*.
4. Newborn scent
Like the enjoyable scent of a new car, the intoxicating smell of your newborn eventually fades with time; and it’s a real shame, too. There’s nothing like smelling the adorably pudgy feet and arms of your baby. Especially considering that once they grow older the challenge of keeping your kids fresh and clean only grows more daunting! You won’t want to smell your older kids feet and arms anytime soon, that’s for sure!
5. Nap time
Older kids have too much energy for nap times. Im not saying that they won’t ever take a nap, but there’s certainly an understanding that babies require more sleep, and as a result nap a lot more. Sure, you can argue that while babies nap more during the day, they also sleep less at night. Which means the only reason you cherish nap time is because they keep you up during normal sleeping hours. Either way, there’s something special about a mid-afternoon nap. It’s refreshing and revitalising; however, you won’t be getting too many of them when your children reach a certain age.
6. Easier travel
You may be thinking how traveling with a crying baby could possibly be easier than traveling with a toddler or older child. Well, if you really think about it, it really was. You didn’t have to buy extra tickets on planes, trains, or busses since they could just safely sit on your lap. You didn’t need to keep an extra-attentive eye or extra tight grip on their palm in crowds since they were strapped to your chest or being held in your arms. Plus, there was never any need to shy away from the toy section in any gift shops because the only thing they wanted to do was rest. Ahh, the good ol’ days…
7. Reaching milestones
There’s no denying that your children aren’t finished reaching important milestones in their development. They’ll go off to school, they’ll lose teeth, they’ll make friends, etc. All of which are amazing milestones. But, you’ll soon notice that those milestones are coming farther apart than previous milestones. In fact, if you think back to that first year or so, you’ll notice that the frequency of milestones was crazy! Not to mention that you got excited for each and every one: rolling, over, sitting up, first solid meal, walking, first word…oh my, the excitement was too much to contain!
This article was based on a post published by Parents
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