As I scroll through my social media feed this week I am bombarded by first day of school pictures. Captions like “Where did the time go?” and “Can you believe my first born is in ---- grade!?” I too have 4 kiddos going to school. My youngest is entering her first full time year. And I too find myself saying, “Seems like just yesterday…”
When I was pregnant with my twins my son just turned 5 years old. Carrying twins for 39 weeks, both over 8 pounds at birth is a story for another day. But that was a year of a lot of lasts for my son. The last year I could carry him - being that pregnant, I couldn’t carry anything. It was the last year he could take a bath - I had him shower so I could reach and help him clean up without bending over and risking a remake of the ‘Help I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up’ commercial. It was my son’s last year of being an only child with all the adult attention. It was the last year I looked at him like a little kid. When his sisters were born he became the “big brother,” “the example,” and the one I expected more from.
When I was giving my youngest her bath this morning she asked if she could lie down while I washed her. I told her no and she said “but mom, I’m young enough.” I am not really sure what her reasoning was, but it got me thinking. Kids always wait to be old enough to do things. They wait to be old enough to go to school, old enough have recess with the big kids, old enough to not be the youngest middle-schooler, old enough to drive, old enough to move out… does it ever end?
As an adult we constantly wish quite the opposite, that we could turn back time. Maybe reverse the clock on our looks, our health, or our even decisions (shoulder pads anyone?). But maybe we should take my daughter’s advice. What are we young enough to do? Don’t write yourself off, take control and create your own options.
When you talk to your children, let them know it is a privilege to be young. Tell them all the things they are young enough to do -
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Take bubble baths and make bubble mustaches
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Fit underneath things, dominate hide and seek
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Dance in the rain puddles
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Pee a little in your underwear and get it shrugged off
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Wear mismatched clothes and call it individuality
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Scribble on paper and have that masterpiece displayed on the fridge for months
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Ride in a shopping cart, seriously, wouldn’t that be great
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Say what is on your mind and have people call it adorbs
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Play video games until starvation wakes you from your zombie-like state
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Nap at any point in the day, perhaps in your bowl of spaghetti?
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Put lipstick anywhere but your lips
Then realize, you are young enough to do those things too.