Being a mom isn’t easy. In fact I think it has to be one of the hardest jobs there is. From the day our children were born until they are married, as a mom I am always worrying about them. I imagine even after the kids are grown and married I will worry.
When I think about it I think there have been stages of being a mom and worrying about my children that I have gone through.
First I had a newborn. For me, as a first time mom everything was a guessing game. Why is the baby crying? Does the baby need a diaper change? Is the baby hungry? Is the baby sick? Maybe the baby just wants to be held? Is the baby teething? So many questions! And all the while I was worrying if I was doing a good job being a mom. For the first couple of weeks though all my baby really wanted or needed was to eat, sleep, pee and poop. Everything else falls into place.
Then I had the toddler stage. This is where I had a better idea of what my kids wanted and needed. The foods they like and don’t like. Whether they prefer juice or milk. When they need to use the bathroom. When they aren’t feeling good. With all this I still worried. I still want to be the best mom I can be. I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed when my toddler didn’t feel good. Even if that meant sitting in front of the TV, watching a movie, under the blanket. All this while I held my “baby”.
The next stage is the kid stage. I think this was when my kids were of school age. At least that’s what I’m calling it. This is when I could tell my child was getting a cold or the flu or something. This is when I only had to look at something in a store and knew my child would like that toy or snack. This is the stage where I had to say good-bye to my little one on their first day of Kindergarten. I don’t know about other mom’s, but I cried with all three of my children on the first day of Kindergarten. I worried about them the entire time they were in school on that first day. And then between Kindergarten and twelfth grade I worried about everything in between. Their first sleepover at another house. Their first time going away for a week WITH OUT me. Their first field trip. The list goes on and on.
The last stage is before my kids get married. This is the stage where my kids are the ages from eighteen on up. This is where I am worried about my kids driving. I pray constantly for their safety while my kids are out and about. This is when I can’t get to sleep until I know my kids are back home safe. This is when I want to give them advice, but I know they need to learn on their own. Even when I can see they are about to learn the hard way and there isn’t anything I can do to stop it. This is also the time when I know my kids are pushing themselves to far physical and I warn them they will get sick if they don’t slow down and get some rest. Whether my children listen to me or not is another story.
So you see being a mom really isn’t easy. From the day my children were born to that day my child drove away from the house for the first time, it wasn’t easy. I am always worrying about something. Wanting to know my kids are safe and healthy. I want to love them and nurture them always. I want to hold them when they hurt. I want to hug them. I want to snuggle with them under a blanket and watch TV on cold winter days. I want to always be their mommy no matter what age they are.