Parenting, exhausting yet exhilirating

If you are a parent of one or more toddlers, you have probably experienced days and weeks where your childs ability to articulate their thoughts and comprehend circumstances jumps exponentially.  Both of our children had days like that last week. 

Alex, our 3 1/2 year old son is suddenly carrying on adult-like conversations with my wife and I.  His grasp of language and understanding situations is suprising to me.  He counts to 100 forward AND backward by himself.  He does the same with the alphabet, forward AND backward.  He will do this almost every night before going to bed.  He is reading many words now, and recognizing others based on situations.  He knows the days of the week, what our schedule is and on what day we do certain activities.  He is becoming so in tune to his surroundings, not merely going off and playing by himself anymore.

Haley, our 18 month old daughter; is talking up a storm.  Because of her hearing loss in 1 ear, we have a therapist visit every quarter, and last week she blew the therapist away.  She is not only NOT having any speech difficulties, she is 6 months advanced for her age.  I pointed out a dolphin to her (calling it a fish) a few nights ago and she corrected me and said, “dolphin.”  She now knows the alphabet and is starting to count.  She can repeat just about any word you say, and immediately remembers what it goes with.  Even in the car she knows where landmarks are, and calls them by name before we get there…ones she has only been by once.  She has a better sense of direction than I do!

Both of them have memories like a steel trap!  They don’t forget anything! 

It’s like they are little sponges for a while, taking a lot of stuff in but not necessarily expressing everything.  Then, all of the sudden, out it comes.  They start talking and understanding many levels up the scale seemingly instantly.  It is amazing. 

Parenting is such an emotional and unpredictable journey.  Frustration can be nearly unbearable, then only a short time later, they do something that makes you so proud.  These little ones can drive you up a wall one minute, and then turn your heart to mush the next.  It’s an exhausting yet exhilerating job.

Having the ability to “go with the flow” is essential to your sanity as a parent, as is having huge amounts of patience.  The ability to go on very little sleep also helps.    You get pushed to your breaking point, tested in every way,  but through it all you can’t forget that you are shaping a life.  How you act and react to them is teaching them lessons they will never forget.  That’s a very big responsibility.   In fact I can’t think of a bigger one. 

Being a parent is a blessing.  Being an involved and loving parent is a gift to your children and to all the rest of us. Thank you for all that you do.  Sometimes you might feel that parenting is a thankless job.  Not so.  Dadsworld thanks you, and so do your kids (even if they don’t tell you right away.)