A Mothership Down

Parenthood is no joke. Except when it is.

  • Baby Sleep
    • The 4 Month Sleep Regression SUCKS!
    • Sleep Training Our 7 Month Old: What Were We Waiting For?
    • Should You Ever Wake a Sleeping Baby?
    • Improve Naps at Daycare
    • How to Make Nap Transitions As Smooth As Possible
  • Parenting
  • Reading
  • Kids Science
    • 5 Minute Fizzy Fun Jar
    • Liquid Density Experiment: Color Explosion in a Jar
    • Water Suspension Science Experiment for Kids
    • Lava Layers! Liquid Density Science Experiment
    • 10 Quick + Simple STEM Activities for Kindergarten
  • Babywearing
  • Recommendations
  • about
    • Who Am I?
    • New Visitors
    • Awards
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure Policy
You are here: Home / Parenting / Parenting Is The Small Things

Parenting Is The Small Things

Published October 1, 2019. Last updated February 22, 2020 by Liz. This post may contain affiliate links.

You can watch the video, or read the full post below.

PARENTING is small things done over and over and over again. Done until we don’t think we can do them anymore.

It’s routine. It’s repetitive. It’s constant.

It’s bigger than I thought. It’s smaller than I thought.

It’s everyday tasks.

The baths, the meals, the Band-Aids for invisible boo-boos.

It’s kissing a knee that needs kissing. It’s holding a child who needs holding.

It’s understanding our own parents better than we did before.

It’s good intentions. And good intentions that we don’t always keep.

It’s replacing the batteries and refilling the prescriptions.

It’s the appointments. It’s the forms. It’s the laundry.

SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY.

It’s noses that don’t stop running all winter. It’s running out in the cold to get more tissues.

It’s bedtime stories when you’re too tired.

It’s nightmares.

It’s hurt feelings and confusion. It’s second guessing ourselves.

It’s school pickup lines and parent teacher conferences. It might be IEPs and therapies and specialists, too. Not all loads are equal.

It’s finding LEGOs in weird places.

It’s googling weird rashes.

It’s a lap that’s full. It’s arms that are full. It’s a mind that’s full to the point of exploding, sometimes.

It’s the teaching. Of letters and numbers and potty training. But also of manners and traditions and character.

It’s holding a space for a hand to grow. It’s holding a space for a heart to grow.

It’s holding space for quiet and for noise.

A LOT of noise.

It’s yogurt. It’s dirt. It’s a lot of messes. Always, messes.

It’s waiting for the on-call doctor to call back when it’s late and the fever won’t break.

It’s clothes that won’t fit for long and grocery bills that are too high.

Sometimes it’s pride. Sometimes it’s embarrassment. Always, it’s love.

Parenting is the small things, done over and over and over.

In the repetition of these small things done over and over and over, our kids find the big things they need.

They learn what love looks like in this repetition.

And so do we.

Filed Under: All Posts, Parenting

« A Letter to Grief
Lockdown Drill »

Comments

  1. Katie says

    November 16, 2019 at 8:32 am

    Such a beautiful read. Thank you for capturing and sharing it ALL so well! Xo

    Reply
    • Liz says

      November 20, 2019 at 9:35 am

      Thanks Katie. I can’t believe they are getting so big!

      Reply
  2. Pat says

    November 16, 2019 at 9:02 am

    Lovely description of parenting! It’s hard to believe but those were really the very happiest days of my life!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      November 20, 2019 at 9:35 am

      Thanks Auntie! And I do believe those were the happiest days ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Cheryl Smith says

    November 17, 2019 at 7:04 am

    Here I am at 7am on a Sunday morning, tears rolling down my face while reading this beautiful essay. Then again it could be the fact that I am going through menopause at the same time my “little girl” is going through pms. Thank you either way.

    Reply
    • Liz says

      November 20, 2019 at 9:35 am

      Aw, thanks for this message Cheryl! Even if it’s the menopause talking ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What Kids Really Need From Their Moms - A Mothership Down says:
    November 20, 2019 at 9:33 am

    […] So what do kids really need from their moms? […]

    Reply
  2. Because that is the deal - A Mothership Down says:
    November 20, 2019 at 9:53 am

    […] And you live through it all because that is the deal. […]

    Reply
  3. 12 Things I Want My Daughter To Know About Life - A Mothership Down says:
    November 26, 2019 at 8:59 am

    […] So go out and be brave. I’m always here waiting for you. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to the Mothership!

Hi! I'm Liz, mom to 3 young kids. Like all of you, I have tons of free time on my hands to ponder the complexities of motherhood. Ok I have almost no time, these kids are taking me down. I write this blog to find camaraderie with the rest of you in the trenches. Welcome! Read Moreโ€ฆ

SEARCH

Popular Posts

The 50 Best Books for Toddlers

The 50 Best Books for Toddlers

I'm Glad We Knew

It Was an Early Loss. But I’m Glad We Knew.

mom and son

To The Parents Who Don’t Feel Like They Can Get It All Done

sleeping baby

In The Nursery, Where Time Stands Stills

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Privacy Policy

You can find our Privacy Policy here.

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress