Things Every Young Mom Should Know

Now that two of my three kiddoes have flown the nest, I am finding I have time to reflect, something I never dreamed of when they were toddlers.
I remember having the older moms encourage me and tell me not to worry so much that it would all turn out fine. It did turn out just fine, after all, but that never stopped me from fretting.
So, if you are chasing little ones around, perhaps something here will give you a boost today.
What I wish I’d known as a young mother.
-That being a mother is exhausting, physical work. The good news is that moving children in and out of car seats is a free work-out designed to trim your triceps.
-That one small baby requires a massive amount of space in the car for sundry other necessary items. This principle is proportionately related to how much mess they will make in your car.
-That Moms should not cry or fuss over spilt milk. Unless it’s in the car, in which case it is going to stink for a long time.
-That giving up sleep could be a form of worship.
-That between pregnancy and nursing, I could go years with someone else being the boss of my body.
-Speaking of bodies, I really should have taken that anatomy class in college, so I could talk to the pediatrician without sounding like a silly goose.
-That I was discipling my own children whether I knew it or not which explains where they get some of their weird habits.
-That if my child says he is not hungry and I make him eat his supper; he will throw up as soon as he lies down for bed because he has a virus.
-That if my child is going to get sick, it will happen minutes after I fall asleep.
-Related principle about sleep: If I need a nap and can fit it in, I might as well take one because I am probably going to be up all night with a sick child anyway.
-Anything embarrassing I do, will happen in front of my children and, before the day is over, be repeated to the last person on earth I want to know about it.
-I can get revenge because I will still be telling embarrassing stories about them when they are 20. After I turn fifty, the revenge principle expires because by then I will be too forgetful to remember which child did what.
-That when I finally get a spare moment, I’ll be saying, “Now who are the people in this picture? Are you sure that young woman was me?” and “My goodness, you all looked alike when you were babies!”
So, to all those moms who are in the toddler years, keep up the good work. It is back-breaking, fast-paced, exhausting work interspersed with brief quiet moments of divine bliss.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives in East Texas with her family and when she grows up, she hopes to be a grandmother. She can be reached at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.