Well, if we know anything about raising kids it’s that the only constant is change. I’ve been navigating a new(ish) season of motherhood that has been refreshing, fun and has come with it’s own set of new challenges.
My twin boys are 4 and a half- the half makes a big difference in kid years!- and my daughter is three. If you’re new here, my daughter is a special needs girlie so she comes with her own set of unique gifts and challenges. This post is focused more on my boys who are typically developing kids. More on my daughter in another post!
The shift from 3 to 4 was a welcome one. It’s been a really fun age to watch the boys grow into even more of their own personalities and are so curious about the world around them. Their language has skyrocketed and it’s been so fun to have actual conversations with them. One of my favorite things is when they ask “why does this happen? Or why do we do that?” And I remember that they are experiencing everything for literally the first time ever. It feels like a big responsibility and also a big honor to be a part of the team that is introducing them to the world and how we all fit in it.
Stable Routine
This shift has also brought us a more stable routine which is fantastic. At 4 years old, we are officially out of the baby phase. I would say we are even out of the todder phase. These are full on kids who jump and climb! Having a more stable routine has given me the space to finally come up for air and start to feel more grounded in my identity as a mom, a wife, a business owner, a woman. However, it feels like this is still a bit of a struggle to find the balance between my mom life and the things that I want to accomplish for myself. Balance is the ever elusive goal and I’m not sure that it’s actually attainable.
Rediscovering Me
The positive flip side of this is that it has sparked a new curiosity in myself again. It feels a little bit like starting over, which I don’t love, but it’s also sparked me to get to know myself all over again and welcome in this new version of myself. I’ve picked up hobbies (wut??), refreshed my wardrobe to feel more like me, and recently signed up for a Masterclass subscription because there is so much that I want to learn about. I think part of this is wanting to live by example for my kids. They are getting more aware of their parents and what we do every day and I want to be an example of a woman who is dedicated to her family but who is also confident in who she is as a person.
Making Friends
Another lesson learned from this season- Finding your mom tribe will absolutely change your life. This may just be my experience, but the baby years felt a little isolating. Granted, our babies were born during Covid so we were actually isolated, but even after Covid lifted it still felt very singular. At that point, I had friends who had older kids, I had friends who were single with no kids, and I had friends who had moved away. Then we moved towns and I was so nervous about the change for all of us, but what happened was magic. Everything clicked into place. We ALL made friends and it changed everything. Having mom friends that I can text any time of day, send memes to, brain dump, complain, laugh or ask for advice has been a lifesaver. This is probably the best thing that has happened to me/us this year.
