To the Toddler Mom Who’s Loving It
When you have a toddler, everyone expects you to be frenzied and frazzled. Maybe you are. But there’s another truth that no one seems ever to expect: you absolutely love these days as a toddler mom.
Loving being a toddler mom feels a bit like being a zebra among horses most days but you are not alone. Parenting support for moms who love the toddler tenacity and constant curiosity might feel limited, but we want to serenade you with validation and support for the love letter between life-altering daily discoveries like bubbles and jumping and the moments of constant questions and chaos.
So, toddler mama, this is for you.
Before you begin, remember that our professionals are always here to help
The newborn days were just not all that for you
When you can hardly wait for what comes next with your little one as they grow, the newborn phase can feel grueling and confusing with absolutely no one to commiserate with. Everyone seems to love a newborn for a myriad of reasons, and it’s even ingrained in motherhood culture with concepts like baby fever.
But not you.
Newborns are sweet, and holding a sleeping baby in your arms is a feeling unlike any other but the fascination with this singular phase can leave you feeling like an outcast when you don’t love it. Now that you’re here, in these toddler days that everyone cautioned you toward, you’re looking in the rearview at the newborn phase and glad to be done with it.
You find yourself welcoming the chaos of their expanding worldview
Everything you anticipated about toddler mom life is true, yet none of it has happened the way you were told it would. There are tantrums and mischievous moments. But no one mentioned the power of minute discoveries that happen and leave you breathless with wonder.
Watching your toddler discover things for the first time is incredible. Each day is filled with unexpected surprises and highly specific conversations about the nuances of the cheese-to-chip ratio of lunch or the value of “I do it myself!”. You get to discover bubbles and sunbeams and dust bunnies with the wonder of the very first time because it is someone’s first time.
Toddlers see the world in shades of wonder and “why”. Alongside the rapid growth of their brains and bodies, life for your little one is expanding daily with endless possibilities in ways you never imagined. Your toddler may be challenging patience and vying for control of a world they are too small to navigate on their own, but you recognize the constant magic brought on by the chaos.
You’re inviting inquisition into your own life alongside your toddler
It often feels like you’re the one being taught about the world when you have a toddler. Noticing the magic of the everyday cadence of life is contagious, as it turns out, and you’ve invited it into your own awareness with enthusiasm. Even when you’re by yourself, you bring this influence of your kiddo along with you. While you’re answering your toddler’s endless list of “why” questions, you’ve found yourself coming up with curiosities of your own.
Like a kaleidoscope of wonder, your toddler has introduced a new perspective to the mundanity of daily happenings. You love noticing when someone’s socks don’t match or how often you’re thinking about wishing flowers as you take a walk. These moments of wonder have helped you to rediscover your own thirst for adventure in life.
Naps have become an integral part of your day’s structure
This couple of hours in your daily routine has become the pause button you longed for during the early days. Sleep is a commodity during infancy with kiddos, and when you become a toddler mom, it becomes an indulgent luxury in various ways. Some moms choose to use this time to nap along with their little ones. For other parents, you may spend these nuggets of nap gold working, cleaning, reflecting, or taking time to yourself to recharge your curiosity batteries.
In whatever way you use them, there’s no question that you’ve embraced the power of naps as an integral part of your parenting support plan. Naps are a currency you can use (for yourself or your toddler, we’re not judging) to get through the day with energy for every adventure you may encounter.
There are so many reasons to love these fast-paced days of toddlerhood. As the adage goes, the days are long but the years are short- and you are feeling the duality of that in every moment of magic that toddlerhood brings.
To the toddler mom who’s loving it, we hope you never lose this sense of wonder. Embrace your long days and short years, the long questions and short tempers, and cherish the cuddles and tantrums without shame. To each their own, and to you, you’re absolutely owning this.
If you’re looking for more parenting support from other mamas like you, connect with us today!
