Parents of very young kids: it is going to get easier!

[haddayr]

I just had an IM chat with a friend who has two very young children, and I told him how much easier his life is going to get. And then I realized I've had a slightly different version of this conversation repeatedly

Comments

[browngirl]

Brb, making sure my roommates see this.

[orbitalmechanic]

I don't even believe you

[orbitalmechanic]

Oh but Violet does this new thing where she goes up into a handstand and then DOES A PUSHUP IN A HANDSTAND.

I just laughed and laughed and laughed.

[haddayr]

HFS!

[danima]

Whhaaaaaaa???? That's, like, superhero-agility.

[lady_mishegas]

Oh, I love love love you for writing this!! Thank you so much.

[haddayr]

xoxo

I was kind of thinking of you when I wrote it, too. I DEFINITELY GETS EASIER.

[beth_bernobich]

And in the future, you have days such as:

The kid gets up, dresses, makes his lunch and goes to school. You don't necessarily have to be awake for this. (Though I liked saying good-bye to him before he left.)

After school, he does his homework without supervision.

And when you realize you need to work late, you call the kid and tell him to start dinner. Some days, you tell him to cook dinner for everyone.

On weekends, if you are deep in writing, or whatever else, you can send him to the grocery store to pick up milk, onions, etc.

He even makes sure the gas tank is filled.

[haddayr]

WOW.

[sarakate]

I can confirm, this is not a fluke! My oldest is transitioning into this stage, at 14. I do have an alarm that goes off when he needs to get up, but I slap the snooze, and wait from him to come stick his head in and tell me he's up; I only actually get out of bed if he hasn't done that by the time it goes off again -- otherwise I turn the first alarm off, and wait for the second alarm to get my youngest up an hour later. And he can fix dinner, with a repertoire of about 3 meals. And he can be left to mind his sister one evening a week, and get both of them through homework and off to bed, so I can attend choir practice. It's kind of awesome.

[mollya]

I really wish someone would have said this to me 8 years ago.

[haddayr]

Instead, they say crap like: "oh, wait 'till they're teenagers."

Now. My kids aren't teenagers. Maybe they are right.

But what I think is that they were so sleep deprived during those early years that they can't remember the constant, hyper vigilance and exhaustion and sleep deprivation and isolation and misery.