Our Small Children School Us Daily

I thought life was crazy when I had four kids under three years old. And it WAS. Don’t get me wrong. Remember when I struggled with depression? But this new season we’re in with a 2 year old, 3 year old twins, and a 5 year old? It’s craziness on steroids. See, when we had really little ones, the days were NUTS, but come 7:00pm we could promptly put them in their cribs where they couldn’t escape, and have the ENTIRE night kid-free.

These days, nights go a little something like this.

After we chase him down and crocodile wrestle him to get his pajamas on, Case, the two year old, goes to bed easily still around 7pm. We sing him a few songs, and he’s OUT. He’s still in a crib and I plan to keep him in there as LONG as we possibly can. (We let the other kids out way too soon.) He may still sleep in a crib when he goes off to college if it means him sleeping as soundly as he does. 😉

The twins. We start their bedtime around 7:30. They share a room, and MAN, are they CHATTY! For hours. And hours. And hours. No joke, the other night we thought they were sound asleep, and I found them in their bathroom at 10:30pm playing Barbies. They fight us and fight us and fight us. They want this and that. I seriously feel like a wounded soldier by the time we FINALLY get them to sleep.

Then there’s Baylen. He’s his Daddy’s mini, and may be the most convincing salesman you ever did meet.

“Momma, snuggle with me. ”

“Momma, I need to go potty.”

“Momma, can I have a drink please?”

“Momma, when I close my eyes I see monsters. Please snuggle with me.”

“Momma, my allergies are bothering me. I need allergy medicine.”

“Momma, can I watch your phone for a few minutes?”

“Momma, I love you. Will you snuggle with me again?”

“Momma, can I tell you about the Legos I want to get at Target? They’re AWESOME. You can build them with me!”

“Momma? I need to go potty again. Poop this time.”

“Momma, will you please lay by me again? I’m scared.”

I know, I know…we should probably have this figured out by now.

But we SOOOOO don’t.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I laid by him to help him fall asleep for months on end around age 4 and a half.

Maybe it has something to do with us letting him stay up LATE with mommy and daddy so we could get one on one time with him for a while this past year.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that by the time bedtime comes around we’re just so dang tired that we’re a little off our parenting game.

Maybe it’s because I’m not the best disciplinarian. As hard as I try, the truth is I kind of suck at it.

Or maybe? It’s just that we’re human, and that story we tell ourselves about all the other parents having it figured out? It just isn’t true.

The parents who SEEM to have it all figured out? Their day will come when they’re served a slice of humble pie too.

When I feel overwhelmed about parenthood? I remind myself that we’re all in this together. We all have ups and we all have downs. And at the end of the day, as long as we love our kids to the moon and back and do the best darn job we can, everything will turn out okay.

So to you, tonight, my parent friends…

Rest assured that you aren’t alone. When your kids aren’t sleeping? Or listening? Or doing ANYTHING that good kids are supposed to be doing? When you JUST want to feel like you have a clue about what the heck you’re doing?

Know that there are some parents over here popping open a bottle of wine who get you. Who are with you.

We’re in this together, and if we keep fighting the good fight, our kids will turn out just fine.

We’ve got this.

You are INCREDIBLE parents, no matter WHAT!

Cheers!

xo,

Amber and Jake

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!