It's hard work being the parent of a toddler, but ...
Reasons to love those Toddler years!
I was in a coffee shop recently, it was absolutely manic and all around me were Mammy’s like me trying (unsuccessfully) to have a quiet coffee and chat with some other Mum’s. All you could hear was “sit down” “stay still” and “be quiet” and children were leaping about spilling ice cream and drinks in their wake!
Next to our table sat an elderly man with his wife sipping on tea and buns when he turned to me and told me that we as parents spend so much time giving out and that “before you know it the children will be older and you will wish for that time again to enjoy the madness”. He said his children were long gone from the family home and he would do anything to go back to the past and tell himself to savour every moment and not to wish days away which turned to weeks, months and years gone in a blink of an eye.
Next to our table sat an elderly man with his wife sipping on tea and buns when he turned to me and told me that we as parents spend so much time giving out and that “before you know it the children will be older and you will wish for that time again to enjoy the madness”. He said his children were long gone from the family home and he would do anything to go back to the past and tell himself to savour every moment and not to wish days away which turned to weeks, months and years gone in a blink of an eye.
It got me thinking how we wish certain times away in our children’s lives like the hard first 6 months or the terrible two’s and of course the dreaded teenage years. With that in mind here is my list of reasons to love the toddler years (as I have one brilliant toddler)!
- They are so enthusiastic, and you find it is catching! It is all “wows” and “cool” about a duck in the pond or a simple torch flashing on and off! A trip to the park is a huge treat letting them be free to run wild and start new adventures. Who hasn’t laughed their head off while watching a toddler come down the slide with a big happy grin?!
- They are constantly on the move and are just balls of energy from dawn until dusk taking you along for the ride! If there is music they will dance, if there is songs they will sing and if there are stairs/tables or chairs you bet they will climb! They also jump and launch themselves from the sofa to the floor! Oh yes sir, a spring wouldn’t bounce as much down the stairs so get the arnica cream ready for bruises as these little munchkins get plenty!
- Have you noticed how incredibly honest toddlers are, and that let you know exactly how they feel? If they are not telling their Granny she has a big nose, they are saying they just farted but maybe a poop came out?! Oops!!
- No matter what toddlers want to help even when they can’t, they will attempt to fold clothes, try to set the table and drown the plants with water! If you have girls they may save you a trip to the hairdressers and cut their own hair!
- You can dress them up in all sorts of cute clothes, in shops now they have really nice gear and our little ones can look totally on trend! Who doesn’t love the tiny suits for boys and gorgeous dresses for girls? You will find in shops that you look in the kids sections before the adults taking great joy in shopping for them. My daughter told me I looked great in a dress once but then told me that she looked better!
- You will always smile or laugh when around a toddler as they are always doing or saying something funny. I told my toddler once to keep her hands off the T.V and she told me that I could use her one if she broke it and in her words “It’ll be grand”!
- They love nothing more than been cuddled up on the sofa with you, just happy to spend time together. Never getting tired of hugs or kisses, to them you are the most important person in the world and the centre of their universe.
Until they get more independence and start school, we must enjoy these very special moments. They grow up so, so fast.