This is a collaborative post, so I may have received payment for including one or more of the links it contains about various mum stuff.
Isn’t being a mum wonderful? Yes I am really saying that. So wonderful that you are happy to take the hours of noise because you know that it’s up to you to help guide these kids through the first 18 years of their life, but also still be available after they finally leave the nest.
But until that day comes, there are plenty of things you need to deal with as a parent to ensure they (and you) make it out with all the sanity still intact. You’ve got to worry about feeding them, teaching them, encouraging them, and picking them up when they’re down.
It sounds complicated enough with just one child, so how can anyone cope with three? It’s a challenge, for sure, but not impossible. You need to know what likely problems you’ll encounter and know what awesome things to look out for so that you’ll remember it’s all worth it.
The drama
Let’s start with the bad. If you’ve got kids under five years old, these are the most likely things you’ll encounter, and you navigate your early years of being a mum.
Teething problems
Getting used to being a mum is a little strange. It’s not like adjusting to a new job, where you feel you need to learn the ins and out (and often still feel like an imposter) but rather something you just get. However, that’s not to say you’ll run into some teething problems, like, well, teething.
It’s painful for a mum to witness their child in pain when you know you can’t do a lot about it and even more so when you know it’s necessary. To make their (and your) life a little more manageable, you can check out teething remedies such as Ashton and Parsons powders that help soothe the pain and get your kids smiling again.
Imaginary fights
Newsflash! Kids fight. And mine seem to fight ALL THE TIME. They fight with each other; fight with their toys; and fight with imaginary monsters. It’s just what they do. There will be sleepless nights, there will be endless checking under the bed, in drawers, and inside the cupboard, and there will be nothing there. But, while as a mum you might know that, your child may take a little more convincing.
The never ending cleanup for mum
If you’re a messy person, you already know about the clutter that threatens to drown you every time you walk through a room. Now, consider how that will be when you’ve got one, two, three, or more kids playing everywhere and showing no regard towards your ‘carefully’ organised routine. This is not good.
You’ll stand on Lego, you’ll trip over Brio train tracks, and you’ll put something down for a second only to never find it again until the day they graduate. Hey, at least you can give them something from their childhood as a send-off. Whether they remember it or not is a wholly different thing. My house seems to have toys everywhere, no matter how much we tidy up. It’s like all they do all day is carry a toy from one room to another and just drop it.
The ‘fun’
It’s not all running after your kids, soothing them to sleep, and backing them against things that go bump in the night. Once you get past all the drama, there’s so much fun to be had when you’re a mum, too.
Finding joy as a mum in the silliest of things
Clumsy kids are the best kind of kids. They trip and tumble. You’re going to want to help them with this, kiss them and tell them it’s okay, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still giggle about it later.
It’s something to discuss with fellow mummy mates and gives you plenty of ammo for their 18th birthday!
Watching them grow
You’ll realise your kids are growing old on their first day of school and suddenly, they aren’t always under your protection. This is not something to be upset about, though. Instead, you can start watching as they make new friends, learn new things, and begin to understand the world is much bigger than their house. And you get to have champagne burnches with your new mum mates. Win win, if you ask me!
Yes, there might be backchat, yes, there might be troubles with lessons and other kids, but as long as you help them along the path, everything will turn out just fine.
The (eventual) friendships
If you have a brood, which is a parenting trend that might be making a comeback, they’ll likely spend years at each other’s throats for both genuine and not-so-genuine slights. However, while this can be stressful, understanding that eventually it will all work out is one of the most comforting things for a mother.
As they grow, you’ll find them supporting each other better. It will seem to happen overnight, and instead of telling each other how much they smell, they’ll offer advice, support, and friendship, and that’s a beautiful thing to witness.
The balance of being a mum
Taking the good with the bad is something everyone should remember in life, but it’s doubly, or dare we say triply important when thinking about motherhood. As long as you stay focused on how great things will turn out, dealing with the drama is the best way to make the fun revitalise you and your family.
How did I do?
Did you enjoy this post? You might like some of my others, so how about you read some of my early posts, such as this one about finding out we were having twins We’re Going To Need A Bigger Car, or Will I Ever Nip Anywhere Again?
If you like a bit of social media madness, pop over to my Facebook page where you’ll be able to have a laugh at what ridiculousness goes on in my house with three very small boys on a daily basis. Warning – there is often sarcasm, and usually swearing. There are also great travel reviews and some AWESOME giveaways. Feel free to join my Twins, Tantrums and Cold Coffee – Shits and Giggles Parenting Group too, where everyone shares their hilarious stories.
And if you want to work with me, feel free to give me a shout here or at helen@twinstantrumsandcoldcoffee.com and I’ll get back to you.