No Regrets Parenting

Welcome to Mom Motivation Mondays where weekly contributing writers share their motherhood experiences to encourage you to find the joy in being a mom.

{This week: Post by Lisa}

I will never forget this one particular day I had with my daughter when she was four.

It was one of those days where I didn’t get out of my pajamas until late in the day.   I had a horrible migraine headache.   All my plans had to be set aside.

I was frustrated.

By the end of the day I had just enough energy to make dinner for the kids and get ready for date night with my husband.

Before starting on my tasks I decided to take a shower.  Oh my, it was so very nice.  I thought things were going well because my kids were so quiet.  (Ha, ha)

And so I thought until…

I was drying myself off my daughter comes running into the bathroom yelling at me that there is an emergency. When I pulled my shower curtain back I couldn’t believe what I saw.

Kaylee was standing on a stool with hands under running water and covered in orange paint. She had paint on her new pink princess dress. There was a trail of orange paint going up and down the hall. The kitchen floor was covered in orange.

She had started a finger painting project on a sheet of typing paper and ran out of room.

She thought that not having enough paper was an emergency.

Just when I was ready to blow up in a moment of mommy panic she innocently looked at me and asked me for more paper.

As I was catching my breath and deciding how I was going to respond, my dog peed all over the orange kitchen floor.

In the mix of two messes, no makeup on for date night, no dinner in the oven and still in my bathrobe, I said, “Yes you may have more paper and paint!!”

Why on earth would I say yes?

Because I love art and my daughter does too.    Why not say yes to finger paint.   Life is too short to not.

I was delighted to see my little artist so excited.  I live to see my children move freely in their passions.

That night my husband and I went to paint at a pottery place and I had a blast.  I smiled all evening as I thought about my Kaylee being her carefree self.

There are other times, though, when my first-instinct is to say “no.” My daughter sweetly asked me to come sit on the couch and snuggle with her.   I told her that I will be with her as soon as I finish my work.

Sadness filled her eyes.

So I put my work away and loved on her.  We hugged each other and I’m glad that I decided to put her first.

I don’t always put my kids first but I’m changing.  They need to know that they matter and that they are special to me.

Life gets busy and time flies by quickly.  I wish my days would slow down so that I can breathe.  It’s hard to always keep my mind peaceful and be respectful with my responses.  But I must! My kids will soon be adults and my time for raising little ones will come to an end. This fact makes me want to be a better mom.

I do this by taking time to cherish my children.  

Pictures and blog posts help me see how precious family life is.

I remember when my son thought it was so funny to wear a diaper on his head for a hat.  Or the first tea party my daughter had with her Daddy.

Every fall my kids love to rake the leaves in a huge pile and jump in.   Their giggles bring a smile to my face.

I love crazy days in the kitchen with my two little cooks.   My son turns a simple cooking project into a science experiment.    My daughter usually insists on adding an ingredient that is not in the recipe.  Like adding a banana to the zucchini bread mix.

I don’t want to have any regrets when my kids are all grown up.

Moms, we demand so much from ourselves.   We want life to flow a certain way and when it doesn’t we beat ourselves up.   In order to survive being a stay at home mom we need to lower our expectations and have some fun.

I started to rise above life messes when I stopped pressuring myself to be perfect.

Let’s enjoy our young ones and remember what really matters in life.

Let’s not pass up snuggle time when little ones ask.  Or big ones for that matter.

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I was forty when I got married. I had my first child in 2008 and my second child in 2010. I am not a young mom.  I’ve been married since 2006 to an amazing man that is my best friend and we live in Colorado. Before I had children I was a Preschool Teacher. Now I’m a Home School Teacher.

I write to encourage and inspire. Life is messy and sometimes makes no sense. I don’t have all the answers or claim to have it all together. I’m learning that I don’t have to be perfect. I’m loved by God just because, and so are you. My posts are meant to help you hang in there when you feel like giving up. Join us at Moms on a Mission and Gathering Place For Sisters In Christ to connect with other moms seeking faith and joy in this season of life.

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Enjoy your time at home!