Have you ever heard of the parenting quote about raising children…“Parenting doesn’t get easier, it just gets better?” Although shocking and certainly hard for me to believe, my twin boys are now 17 and my two younger sons, age 12 and 7 have all given me real reason to firmly believe this statement as fact.
Think about it… this is a fantastic and amazing statement! It’s a proclamation that we should all hold dear, a mantra we should all live by, a motivational statement we should tell ourselves each and every day… especially during those unfortunate times when we aren’t at our “perfect Pinterest, parenting best!” “Parenting doesn’t get easier, it just gets better!”
I know there have been plenty of times over the years I have not made the best choices in how I resolve conflict and parenting challenges. I can even remember times I probably should have given myself a “time-out” by locking myself in my room and comforting myself with chocolate… but there were also plenty of times where I was beaming with pride when one of my boys did something positive, productive and non-life threatening!
You see… parenting does not get easier, BUT…it does gets better. Just when you think you have mastered one age and stage; they move onto the next one and you’re off, having to adjust and learn a new way to handle the hurdles and challenges that inevitably will come your way.
All of these issues that arise are not easier to deal with (like wiping poop off the walls after they ripped off their diapers and threw them until they stuck issue); but these challenges just get better as you go… trust me… MUCH better than that!
Whether you are pregnant with your twins and need information about what to expect, you’re in the thick of midnight feedings, colic and teething or you’re preparing your twins for potty training, all of these parenting milestones are as important for them (children) as they are for us (parents.)
I will tell you that you really do feel such a sigh of relief and a huge sense of accomplishment when they begin to crawl, walk, talk and feed themselves. Each age and stage they reach you get to learn more about your parenting style and you get to know your children much better and who they REALLY are.
This is not easier, either, but it IS… better.
When you are met with a challenge and face it head-on, you will find that you are much more confident and capable at parenting and ready to tackle anything then you ever thought you were… (Especially when your friends with singletons look at you in ‘awe’!)
So as your children move through each stage so will you as a parent! Just as they master each skill, you will, too! And just when you think that this difficult phase they are in will ‘never’ pass, it will, and you will move on to the next difficult phase and so on and so on…
Once you master this stage, you will then be ready to move onto the next one (running in separate directions phase!) You’ve got this! So be brave and venture out into the world with your infant twins and prove to yourself and others how strong you really are… and allow yourself to breathe in the fresh air of life!
When you are in the thick of it all… just keep telling yourself: “Parenting doesn’t get easier, it just gets better!”
