To Moms With Kids Under 5: THIS Is Our Time

I keep thinking about how great it would be to have a meeting with all the moms. Every single one of you. It wouldn’t be a meeting in a sterile board room with dress pants and hot coffee.

No.

It would be in my living room. And there would be toys scattered all over and probably an empty sippy cup that leaked on the carpet. And we’d be wearing our favorite mom outfit. You know that one that we feel comfortable and confident in, the one we welcome spit up and sticky fingers on. Washed hair and make-up would be optional. And hot coffee? I’m guessing not. But we can take turns running to the microwave to nuke it.

And there we’d sit. We’d look into each other’s tired eyes, and we’d let out a collective exhale. Then we’d ask each other the question, “How are you REALLY doing?”

We’d pause before we’d answer, because after talking baby talk and toddler talk, sometimes we feel like we don’t even know how to have an adult conversation anymore. And when we’d finally open our mouth, we’d feel a little awkward, not sure if we were making any sense at all.

I might share about how I was up half the night not only with my newborn, but with my three year old, who refused to go back to bed because I wouldn’t give him juice. Or how my girls fought over a toy all morning. Or how I’m struggling with my postpartum body image.

You might share about similar happenings at your house, about how your daughter would only wear a sleeveless shirt yesterday even though it was freezing cold and how you had to plead with your son to eat his veggies and how the baby always wants to be held when you need to make dinner. And we’d laugh it off together, feeling a little better that we aren’t doing any of this alone.

We’d go on and cover other topics, and it would feel SO GOOD to be understood.

Then we’d rally. We’d move from all the things that are tough about this stage to all the reasons it’s totally worth it. Because you and I both know that as hard as it gets, there isn’t anywhere else we’d rather be.

We realize that even though the days seems SO long sometimes, these years are going by faster than any other season of life we’ve experienced.

We realize that THIS IS OUR TIME.

This is our time to snuggle our newborns close, to smell the newness of their little bodies, to sit in the rocking chair and rock them for hours.

This is our time to feed them what feels like a million times a day, to watch the newborn look fade away with each feeding as they literally grow before our eyes.

This is our time to show them off to friends and family, as we proudly introduce them to each of the people who mean the most to us.

This is our time to watch them use their little mouths to taste new flavors, to watch them respond by making happy faces and sour ones.

This is our time to hear them giggle a hearty giggle for the first time, and our time to get them to do so as much as possible thereafter.

This is our time to make silly voices and funny faces, and anything else to keep them happy.

This is our time to watch them put one foot in front of the other and take their first steps.

This is our time to watch them explore their surroundings, our time to teach them boundaries about what is safe to play with and what they need to stay away from.

This is our time to take them to the park, to sit with them in our laps as they go down the slide for the first time.

This is our time to watch them waddle around and fall down when their little legs can’t keep up with how quickly they want to do something.

This is our time to hear them say their first words. To help them put meaning to their environment. To help them communicate. Our time when we understand what they’re saying even though it sounds like a secret language to everyone else.

This is our time to teach them manners. To say please and thank you. To ask for something instead of demanding it.

This is our time to teach them yes and no. Our time to teach them obedience. Our time to teach them about consequences.

This is our time to teach them the basics. To read stories a hundred times over because we know repetition is so important for their growing minds.

This is our time to teach them how to share, that the world is bigger than just them, and that we need to love others.

This is our time to take them to the grocery store and be the mom with the kid who has the meltdown, and not be bothered by it.

This is our time to give them grace when they don’t listen, and to make every situation an opportunity to learn.

This is our time to play games with them, to teach them how to win and how to lose.

This is our time to play on the floor with them for hours at a time and do nothing and everything at the same time.

This is our time to choose our kids before housework and laundry, our time to look at the little messes as reminders that our house is full of love.

This is our time to say goodbye to long showers and hot meals, because our kids often need us more than those luxuries.

This is our time to be intentional about affirming their strengths.

This is our time to give out kisses and hugs and tell them how much we love them hundreds of time each day.

This is our time to LOVE them. This is our time to teach them how to succeed for years to come. This is our time to hold them close before we send them out into the world.

THIS IS OUR TIME. This is our time to be present and intentional. This is our time to have our head in the game and GIVE and GIVE and GIVE of ourselves.

This is our time to do all of this and so much more.

This is our time, our investment to make the world a better place.

So to you, dear mom friend, keep on keeping on. I know there are days when you don’t know how you’re gonna make it through the tantrums and the exhaustion, but you will. Keep going. The things you do day in and day out matter. They matter big time, both now and for years to come.

And when you start to question that? Think about our meeting in my living room, how we’re in this together, how we “get” each other, and how THIS IS OUR TIME.

XOXO,

Amber

P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!