That expression! “They grow up so fast; enjoy every minute!”
Do I enjoy every minute? Of course not. No parent does. If they say yes, they’re lying the biggest lie a person can make.
I will never enjoy changing a diaper or cleaning up spilled meals (although I do have a perma-clean dining area floor thanks to my thrice-daily wiping/vacuuming – there’s a surprise parent perk). I am so dang good at securing 5-point harnesses not because I’m an F1 mechanic – I just have kids. I know all the specs of all the big plastic sippy cup / straw cup makers. It’s all too much!
So yes, despite loving my kids beyond anything, I really am looking forward to some future years … different challenges yes, but hey, change is good!
Here’s what I’m looking forward to most:
- We’ll take down those baby gates someday. Please, God.
- Goodbye plastic cups and plates!
- No more cleaning bottles and sippy cups. Hello open cups!
- My living room will no longer resemble Toys R Us.
- Regular seat belts for everyone!
- The end of tantrums. I don’t care if older kids fight differently and have an attitude. I just want a change from these BS tantrums when my kids can’t/won’t elucidate on what the problem is or what their emotions are.
- No more coddling during mealtimes (on the occasions when I cave and offer them extra choices!). If you don’t like what’s there, well, you know what Beast said:
- I’ll feel less guilty saying no to them. It’s much harder to say no to an adorable baby who smiles while being a monster….
- You mess up my backseat? YOU clean it!
Kids + car + crayons = mad mommy!
10. And what I’m looking forward to most is … my kids going pee in the middle of the night BY THEMSELVES. Miracle, right?
What about you? Are you looking forward to a few years in the future when they’re a little more grown up? If so, what’s on your list?
welcometothenursery 
So true! I’m past some of these stages and I love it. For me, I’m loving not being growled at because I didn’t whip the boob out fast enough to feed, haha. Also, I don’t miss the hidden poops around the house because pooping in the potty was “scary” for my 2-year-old. Oh, and I LOVE that my kids sleep through the night and I get uninterrupted sleep. I admit, though, that I’m grateful for these experiences solely because they give me a good laugh now that they’re over. I did not love them when I was in it though, lol.
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Oh gosh, hidden poops! You had it rough!! I knew a friend growing up whose little brother hid his uneaten dinner in clumps around the house. Mold city!!
Yes, in hindsight they are funny. But in the moment … gah!!
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I love a good baby cuddle as much as the next person, but I threw a “goodbye see you never” party for the bottles when my littlest moved onto the sippy cup.
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Oh my God, I can’t wait for that day. My littlest is 21m and we’ve tried so many times for sippy/straw cups. I’m going to throw the biggest party when the day comes….
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I like being able to hang out with friends and send ALL the kids outside/to another room and know that even if they get into mischief, this mischief will not involve my returning to find all of the upholstery layered in applesauce.
I also like being able to sleep in on weekends….Brainiacal refused to sleep unless I was touching her for so long that I knew I had made at least some progress when she was 3, I had a stomach bug and got up in the middle of the night to throw up (jack-and-jill bathroom between our two bedrooms with both doors open), and she shouted, “THAT SOUND is STOPPING me from SLEEPING!”
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Absolutely yes to that! I would love to leave the room and know nothing will be destroyed! My 4yo is quite good now, but my 21mo is kind of a devil. Just a really cute one!
Oh man! Yeah, vomiting will prevent anyone from sleeping! 😦
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My biggest item I was longing for was an actual conversation, where it all made sense! Trying to follow what a toddler is saying takes sooo much imagination and effort, like you are always struggling to figure out what they are saying. Or what they want, or how they feel. Does your head hurt or are you just mad?
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Yeah, totally! That is topping my list, really. Good one! I forgot. I want to talk about actual things that matter, not princesses and observations about everyday things. Sigh. That will come.
And yes, I really look forward to them verbalizing both their feelings and physical issues!
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This was a fun post! I love the Beast roaring……I’m sure I’ve possibly maybe said that a few times! ((cough))
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Me too! I’ve been tempted to use Beast’s exact words … but I haven’t!
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A day where there are no tantrums, no refusing to use the potty, and actually eating the food I provide…that sounds like a miracle. This toddler/threenager stage is gonna be the end of me.
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You mean … cooperation?! Oh man, that’s the DREAM! I usually say in my head, “Why can’t you just suck it up and do what we say quietly, because you know you’ll have to do it in the end anyway?”
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Lol Number 4. I feel like I am constantly picking up toys…
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I agree with the comment above about having conversations. Right now, we are at the stage where I am required to affirm all observations, but am not allowed to contribute to the conversation. And the 2 year old stream of consciousness is dizzying and weird.
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Ugh, so true!! Squish usually does not let me give my own opinion, which is SUPREMELY annoying to me. I have to hold my tongue not to flip out at her. I ask her at least to let me talk and not be rude…. It’s just so hard at this stage. I hope by age 5 this abates!
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All my kids being potty trained. Hands down, my number one!!
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That will certainly make things easier! However … having them be potty trained AND not getting up in the middle of the night to pee will be paradise!
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I couldn’t wait till my oldest slept through the night… He was seven months old, I was back at work and feeling like a zombie with him waking up twice a night…
And I loved the day I said goodbye and good riddance to all the diapers!!!
Great post. You nailed it.
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Those are two great milestones for kids, but even more so for the parents! Sleeping through the night and no diapers … heck ya!
Merci!!!!
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