Not sure about you, but Seth and I butt heads over parenting every once in a while. What’s funny is the end result of what we want is the same, but we have different ideas on how to get there. Before we got married we talked about how we wanted to parent and we had similar goals and expectation but actually having kids was a wake up call! Also as we learned and changed in ourselves, our parenting would change. I remember thinking one time that it had to be so easier alone, man was a I wrong!!
Last week Seth left for five days on a camping trip to Yellowstone. Leaving me alone with our three little ones all under the age of three! When I told Seth, it would be fine and I would be able to handle it I did not realize what handling three children alone entailed. I grew to appreciate all the little and big things Seth does when it comes to parenting and helping out with our kids.
My first struggle presented itself when I was trying to feed and put the baby to bed. Well like many children, my kids can get pretty wild right before bedtime and they were running around and talking to me and it kept the baby awake. When Seth is home though, he takes the two older ones and gets them settled down in bed so that the baby can have peace and quiet to fall asleep.
The next struggle was when I was about to lose my cool and yell and shout at my kids. They did not have another parent to show them love and comfort when the other got too overwhelmed. Having Seth home helps keep a balance in the home when one is over the edge, the other can keep the peace. It allows the children to still receive comfort with one parent while the other takes a break. Which presented my third struggle.
The third struggle of never having a break filled me with frustration towards my kids. Though all my kids still nap and I get them to take naps at the same time, I still have to keep an ear open in case they wake up early, fall out a bed, or if something happens. When Seth is home and I need a break I can walk away, tune my kids out, and get that much needed break. Knowing Seth is home and ready to help them out so I don’t have to be that person all the time.
So this blog is a shout out to my husband! Even though we bash heads on parenting, I am so grateful to have you as my partner, friend, and confidant. I will continue to bash heads till we find our parenting hacks. I was grateful for that experience because it helped me appreciate the little things Seth does.
This experience also allowed to really appreciate all those single parents that do an amazing job playing both roles! I have met some amazing kids who only have one parent because they did what needed to be done. You guys are rock stars. You got this. And if you need help, do not hesitate to reach out!