SPRING is in the air and you can’t help but think about growth and the changing seasons!
As we approach spring, we are seeing some signs of growth. Children are always the first ones to point out the earliest flowers that pop up and are so surprised and joyful. The trees or bushes planted last year are a little fuller and taller. And of course, your children have grown too.
As parents, spring is the wake-up call, literally: “Mom!! I have no shorts that fit me!!” You are thrown into the chaos of clothes not fitting and a toddler who last year was not mobile now being a full-blown running around getting into everything kiddo. The game has changed, parents. Let’s dig in.
When our children and babies grow we, as parents, play a unique role. While we are often surprisingly surprised by growth spurts and shifts, we are required to respond and support, no matter how the change impacts our day-to-day. Things may get tricky along the way so keep in mind our top tips:
Stay flexible and willing to change.
Often parents are surprised when their little one starts to crawl, pull-up or drops that second nap. There’s a special balance of accepting the new changes and growth while not rushing the milestones. I remember waiting for my little ones to start walking, but when it was my third, I almost wanted to slow him down and say, “Not yet!” Maybe you’ve been there too? (ie.dragging our feet on switching from a crib to a bed, putting off letting our bigger kids cross the street by themselves, etc.) So when we bump up against an inconvenient growth, think about how you can lean into it a bit because it’s coming whether you want it or not!
Embrace all those changes, especially when sometimes we miss them until they’re done.
There’s a lot out there about how the changes happen. The growth happens and we miss it. The age-old heartbreaker of “When is the last time I’ll give my kid a bath? Or when was the last time they asked me to lay with them at bedtime?” Of course, there’s something sad about change with the passing of time. But sometimes leaning into the change and into the growth is kind of fun. Heartbreakingly fun but still exciting and rewarding. Remember the change impacts kids, too. Many have a little “Peter Pan syndrome” about growing up. As parents we see the predictable push-you-away-and-pull-you-back-in rhythm of growing up. When you’re on the parent side it can be especially hard and feel awfully personal. It’s a journey.
Accept that we, too, can experience growing pains.
When our kids grow and change this inevitably means we have to be flexible and change our expectations. Time to pivot, parents. Your child will bring personality, opinions, challenges, and strength to the equation. Our advice is to lean in and try not to fight the progress. Of course, steer the ship and guide the way but when we push back and actively fight change, our energy is usually misplaced. As our kids grow and change, we also do some growing and changing as parents. Those things you thought you’d “never” do may not seem so out there after all. And the kiddo who was once so predictable may seem like one big mystery for a spell. Lean in and take the ride. Remember to find your people to talk it all through with - not just the high-level, simple stuff but the nitty-gritty, messy stuff that EVERY parent navigates. When in doubt, you’ve always got us at Work & Play. G
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