The Things I Don't Miss About Little Kids
It is so easy to be maudlin and overly sentimental about parenting. I look at pictures of my kids when they were very little and it physically hurts me to see their chubby cheeks and twinkly eyes. I miss the snuggles and the non-sequiters. I miss the randomness of their tiny minds.
So in an attempt to shore up against wallowing in memories, I have been thinking about the things I do not miss about having really little kids.
Doing up the car seats: I hated standing in the snowy rain doing up car seats over a wiggly, screaming toddler. The day my youngest learned to do her seatbelt by herself is one of my happiest.
Lugging around infant seats: There is no way to carry that thing comfortably. My arm hurts just from thinking about it.
Throwing food off the high chair: When a one-year-old learns cause and effect there is no stopping him. The constant tossing of food off the high chair was so irritating. We still have food throwing, but at least they clean up after themselves
Changing diapers in public bathrooms: Dirty, gross. Naked children running. Bad.
Strollers: I love walking down the street holding my kids hands. No heavy stroller to push over snow drifts, or to maneuver through store doorways (though I do miss the shopping basket).
Wiping Bums: Enough said.
Not being able to sit through a meal at a restaurant, or a movie: Now that my kids are 12, nine and seven we can go out places and sit and have nice conversations and go to movies and no one has to pee!
Working entire days around naps: Sure it was handy when you wanted to get out of things, or when you needed a nap or a "rest." But it is nice to live life without the whole "when is the nap?" happening anxiety hanging over your head all the time.
Obsessing about sleep: Not just naps, but the constant thinking, talking and obsessing about the early hours, late nights, lack of sleep, bedtime routines, lack of bedtime routines, it just goes on and on. And then they sleep.
I feel better already.
What don't you miss?
Want more chaos? Last year, I wrote about a study that said spoon feeding a baby can make them grow up obese.
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