Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?

I recently read an article in Parenting Magazine: 8 Things No One Tells You About Being A Mom. Then I heard some commentary on a parenting podcast this week and it reminded me of the truth of the article's words.

The first item that I related too more than just a passing "Amen" was the one about running in circles. I think that is the best way to describe your day to someone who doesn't have kids. Now that I'm trying to form Maddux's routine, while (hopefully) still maintaining Eli's, I feel like my day is a series of clock-watching. Not because either routine/schedule is tied to the clock, but because Maddux, much like her brother at this age, is a ticking time bomb. We went through a phase when Eli was about six-months when a clock was essential to his happiness. He was a 90-minute baby to the second. He would be happy and alert at minute 88, but if you mistook that to mean he wasn't ready for a nap, minute 91 would come and you would regret your lack of action immediately. When you put him down at minute 88, 89, or 90, he would happily talk and gurgle to himself for a few minutes before he dozed off, all on his own. If you tried to put him down at minute 95, he would wail and carry on forever. I learned my lesson quickly and always kept an eye on the clock during that time. Though Maddux is not quite a 90-minute baby, she has her own rhyme and reason, which I'm still trying to nail down. The one thing I'm sure of, my mind goes numb from the constant sleep-eat-diaper-play cycle. The challenge with two kids: two cycles at once. Luckily Eli only has one nap a day to contend with, but he's a ball of energy and toddlers require a lot of stimulation. His cycles are more about activities in and out of the home. Balancing these two "circles" is a challenge.

The main list item I identified with was "You Don't Get Instant Replays". No brainer, right? You rarely get those in real life either. The explanation of this one is where I found my feelings put best into words: "You will say the wrong thing. You will do the wrong thing.......But with a child it's especially tough because you're making so many split-second decisions in any given hour — and the repercussions of those decisions are helping to form a growing psyche." Wow. Totally the pressure I feel, and I know I'm not alone in that. I don't think you can truly appreciate how many little, immediate decisions need to be made in the course of an hour until you spend a day or two alone with a child, especially a toddler or pre-schooler. The challenge is to not allow yourself to over analyze the (wrong) decisions you make.

Carry on....just a few random thoughts from a rambling mom while (both!!) kids are napping.