Not for Naught
http://powerofmoms.com/articles/127/1/Not-for-Naught/Page1.html
April Perry
April Perry is a mother of four precious children and is the founder of "Power of Moms." She received a BA in Communications and loves reading, writing, learning from the wonderful mothers around her, and spending time with her family (especially her cute husband). By April Perry
Published on 07/28/2008
Sometimes at the end of a day, I wonder what I actually accomplished. Rest assured, even if you've had a tough time getting anything "done" in the midst of child-rearing, it's "not for naught."
Not for Naught
I had to laugh tonight as I got my little Spencer down to bed. He's "number four", (though I hate to assign my children a number) and I felt grateful that my experience with Spencer's older siblings prepared me for such a day. Seriously, it felt like all I did was chase my little 11-month-old ALL DAY. He got his hands in the toilet twice, smeared the food that he'd dropped from his high chair all over the kitchen floor (yeah, I should have swept it up right away), crawled under at least 20 chairs at church (with his cheek plastered to the ground while he scooted through the small spaces--and lost his pants in the process...), and spent the rest of the day screaming about something that he wanted but couldn't describe using his limited vocabulary of "da-da" and "ba-ba".
When bedtime finally came, I felt such relief. I had to collapse on the couch for a few minutes, and while I did, my older three made me cards. The first one said, "Dear Mom, Sorry your tierd. I'm tierd, too. I made you a card so you wode feel better." The next one had a poem: "I love you mom, you are the bomb. You'll need a rest, when your patience we test." And then my kindergartner: "Poem: BatCatFatSatFlatMat." He's learning.
I thought back to when I was a new mom of "just" one (it was much harder, by far, even though the numbers were fewer). I remember these exhausting days, but I didn't do a very good job breathing through them and taking it all into perspective. When my husband would come home from work, I would cry to him, "I can't get anything done. I chase the baby all day. What is the point of all this?" I didn't have notes telling me I was "the bomb" or anyone to say, "Yeah, I'm tired, too." Even though I knew I was doing something important, it was simply HARD.
This entry is for the moms out there who might be feeling that all their work with their babies is for naught. Some days are just going to be hard. Sometimes you won't get anything done on your list, and many days you will spend more time cleaning up than anything else. It does get better. It gets SO much better.
Tonight when I tucked Spencer in his crib, I reminded myself of what I have learned these past several years. Yes, the day was exhausting, but look what I did. My baby grew a little more, made dozens of smiles, learned to enjoy splashing (even if it was in the toilet), and got closer to becoming the son who will one day be able to do great things. And even if the thanks never come, I'm doing this so he can become...someone who had a mom who was absolutely crazy about him.
I do lots of things each day in a variety of areas, but the most important work I do is with my family. At the end of the day, if they can see that I have loved them with all my heart and given them the chance to grow into great people, then my work (and likewise, your work) is not for naught.
When bedtime finally came, I felt such relief. I had to collapse on the couch for a few minutes, and while I did, my older three made me cards. The first one said, "Dear Mom, Sorry your tierd. I'm tierd, too. I made you a card so you wode feel better." The next one had a poem: "I love you mom, you are the bomb. You'll need a rest, when your patience we test." And then my kindergartner: "Poem: BatCatFatSatFlatMat." He's learning.
I thought back to when I was a new mom of "just" one (it was much harder, by far, even though the numbers were fewer). I remember these exhausting days, but I didn't do a very good job breathing through them and taking it all into perspective. When my husband would come home from work, I would cry to him, "I can't get anything done. I chase the baby all day. What is the point of all this?" I didn't have notes telling me I was "the bomb" or anyone to say, "Yeah, I'm tired, too." Even though I knew I was doing something important, it was simply HARD.
This entry is for the moms out there who might be feeling that all their work with their babies is for naught. Some days are just going to be hard. Sometimes you won't get anything done on your list, and many days you will spend more time cleaning up than anything else. It does get better. It gets SO much better.
Tonight when I tucked Spencer in his crib, I reminded myself of what I have learned these past several years. Yes, the day was exhausting, but look what I did. My baby grew a little more, made dozens of smiles, learned to enjoy splashing (even if it was in the toilet), and got closer to becoming the son who will one day be able to do great things. And even if the thanks never come, I'm doing this so he can become...someone who had a mom who was absolutely crazy about him.
I do lots of things each day in a variety of areas, but the most important work I do is with my family. At the end of the day, if they can see that I have loved them with all my heart and given them the chance to grow into great people, then my work (and likewise, your work) is not for naught.