Five Things That Really Haven't Changed as my Kids Get Older

When my kids were little, I remember thinking that some things would be so much easier when they were bigger. When they could dress and feed themselves; when they could use words to express their feelings instead of just melting down; when the bedtime routine wasn't such an ordeal life would be so much simpler. 

Are you laughing yet?

The truth is that, even though my kids are now 14, 12, and 9, there are some struggles that still haven't changed much at all!

• We still argue about clothes - When they were babies, they couldn't express what they wanted, so I dressed them in clothes I thought were cute. As soon as they could talk, though, they let me know their own preferences. Only dresses or no dresses; leggings but no jeans; no pink or all pink - and the list went on and on. Now, of course, they dress themselves, but I find myself frequently saying (or at least thinking), "THAT"S what your'e wearing?!?" They are still super picky in different ways and shopping for them is just short or torture. I'm asked multiple times a week if there's any clean laundry and they can NEVER seem to find any clean socks!!!

• We still argue about sleep- When they were babies and toddlers, I would put them to bed and pray they would fall asleep quickly so I could go to sleep myself. Now, I send them to bed at 9:00 or 10:00 and they argue about going to bed "so early" and I'm still left hoping they will fall asleep quickly. In the mornings, we have a problem opposite of the one we had years ago. I remember Saturdays and holidays past when they were calling, "Mommy!" at 6:30 in the morning and I was silently begging them to go back to sleep. Now, I am begging them to get their backsides out of bed. During summer vacation or holiday breaks, it's a miracle if we can leave the house before noon because it's unlikely they will get out of bed before 10:30. And school mornings???? Don't even get me started! 😡

• Our schedule revolves around food - My oldest was exclusively breastfed partially because, no matter how hard I tried, she would never take a bottle. So, as a new mom trying to figure things out, my schedule revolved around where I would be at three hour intervals so I could nurse her. I was a little more relaxed with the next two, but still had to think about when they would need to eat. And, have you ever tried to tell a hungry toddler they need to wait for lunch? Now, they ask what's for dinner as soon as they get in the car after school. I spend hours planning dinner menus, making grocery lists, and figuring out when/how to put a meal on the table in between our crazy schedules. Even choosing a restaurant is like an act of Congress and at least one person always ends up pouting.

• It still takes forever to get everyone out the door - I used to always be a very punctual person. When I had kids, like many people that changed. When they were little, we had to make sure we had diaper bags, get everyone fastened into car seats, and, inevitably, someone would have a dipper blowout just as we were finally heading out the door. Now, we need backpacks and devices, nobody can seem to find their shoes, and then, they argue over who sits where in the minivan. 

• They still have temper tantrums - The only difference now is that the tantrums involve eye-rolling and slamming doors along with he crying, whining, and stomping. Fortunately, the tantrums usually happen at home now instead of in the middle of aisle 5 at Target. 

Now that the girls are older, life is still chaotic - it's just a different kind of chaos from when they were little. But, one other thing that hasn't changed  - I still love them just as much as ever!!

Got kids? Did you think it would get easier as they got older?