We’re Halfway There and I Think This Might Be the Sweet Spot

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sweet spotMy daughter turned nine last spring. NINE. I’m not even sure how that went so quickly. Almost a full decade passed in the blink of an eye. Then again, I can now say I did things during my adult life that were twenty years ago. And those too feel like they were only five years ago, tops.

Time. Is. Flying.

I look at pictures of my daughter as a baby, a toddler, a preschooler and barely recognize her. I remember the feelings around those times – excitement, fear, and contentment. Mostly, I remember how we were each other’s worlds. Our time together was spent reading, crafting, exploring, and just generally enjoying being together.

Of course, there were hard times too. Frustrating nights spent rocking and rocking her to sleep, fights with siblings, panicked visits to the pediatrician, and lots and lots of messes. There were heart-wrenching moments like the first day of kindergarten. And in more recent memory there are the angsty battles around not listening, shrugging off chores, and picking fights with her brothers and sisters.

The night before fourth grade, my daughter cried about the end of summer. She was particularly sad about the end of playing, and the fear that pretty soon she wouldn’t even want to play anymore. She’s sad about the thought of growing up, and about not being a kid anymore.

I’m right there with her. It’s not even so much that I want to go back in time to when she was little. It’s more that I wish I could freeze time, right here, right now.

It’s like when you’re halfway through a vacation. You’re settled in and know the ropes. You can look back and think about all the awesome things you’ve already done. You can also look ahead and think about all the fun things you still have left to do. You don’t have to worry about going home yet. You’re in the sweet spot.

I feel like right now, we’re in the sweet spot.

Everyone in our family is still a kid. They have friends and lives outside of us, but generally, they’re still happy to be with us and each other. They can play with each other for hours. They’re excited about seeing their grandparents. They still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. They still get pumped about Halloween costumes, decorating for holidays, and dressing in matching outfits.

I know that there are more fun memories ahead of us. I also know that every year, our kids start moving toward more and more independence. It was nine quick years to get to where we are today. It will be another nine quick years, and we’ll be sending our oldest to college.

So, my goal, for now, is to enjoy being in the sweet spot. We’re halfway there. Isn’t this a great place to be?

Where are you in your parenting journey? How do you feel about it?

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Kate S.
Kate S. is a mom at home in Fairfield with her 4 kids (2 girls and 2 boys) and one puppy. Kate's sister introduced her to Chris, whom she married in 2010. They welcomed their first daughter in 2012, a son in 2014, another daughter in 2016, another boy in 2018, and finally a puppy in 2021. Kate and Chris's parenting motto would probably be, "Just take them with you." As a family, they continue to enjoy activities like skiing, kayaking, and hiking by taking turns to teach the older kids or strapping babies into backpacks. Kate can be found out and about exploring with her kids, volunteering at their schools, or laughing with other moms at the beautiful chaos of life with children.

1 COMMENT

  1. Yes! We have three boys- ages 9, 7, and 5, and my husband and I were saying this exact same thing the other night. We are loving the “sweet spot” where we can do our own thing for an hour or so while the kids play but then the kids still love spending time with us. We know it won’t be too long until our 9 year old wants to just spend time with friends rather than being with his parents, so we’re savoring it while it lasts!

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