If so, please consider clicking the above link and liking the Notes post—leave a comment or even share within your own community. Poetry lives on in the minds of hearts of writers, it breathes on the page.
Your voice can be heard among the starry illuminations, howling at the moon.
No one can prepare you for the 24/7 marathon of parenting. If they could, there would be a lot less people in the world. From what it sounds like you’re doing a fine job. Thanks for sharing this piece.
You're doing it right, and you're doing great. Parenting is such a make-it-up-as-you-go process for everyone. Kids have different personalities, wants, needs, and "adulting" will sometimes interfere with spending time with the kiddos. No parent is perfect. From the details you've given, it seems like yours are headed down the path to being decent human beings, and that's all any parent can hope for. You're doing great!
Yikes!!! Occasionally I need to read something like this to confirm my decision not to have children!!! Maybe they will take care of you when you are old.......
Great piece, Nicci. I wish when my kids were young, I'd taken a moment like this to take stock and tell myself it's okay that I wasn't the perfect mom I promised myself I would be. I could have been, if the kids had cooperated.
Haha if only the kids would do what they needed to do, we’d all be perfect parents! Seriously though they don’t warn you how complex things are before you have babies.
No, they don't. 'Having babies' is like a microsecond in the lives of parents. Nobody tells us they're going to stop being soft and cuddly and totally dependent, and when that day comes there's no going back. They'll have spent their baby days learning to do for themselves, and the times we laugh at their attempts at independence will come back to haunt us when we discover they've learned only too well.
One of their first words is 'no'. The power of that word must be startling to them when they see how well it works. Again, we laugh but the last laugh's on us!
Thanks so much. My daughter came in from school today on the phone with a friend and, with all the anxiety and uncertainty and a-normalness over the last 3+ years, I had a moment of pure contentment that she’s able to be just a little normal.
Fine writer and reader of Substack—we are starting a movement to get a poetry section added to the platform. Can I ask, are you with us?
https://substack.com/profile/10309929-david/note/c-15579327
If so, please consider clicking the above link and liking the Notes post—leave a comment or even share within your own community. Poetry lives on in the minds of hearts of writers, it breathes on the page.
Your voice can be heard among the starry illuminations, howling at the moon.
Thank you for your time and support.
Love and appreciation,
David
No one can prepare you for the 24/7 marathon of parenting. If they could, there would be a lot less people in the world. From what it sounds like you’re doing a fine job. Thanks for sharing this piece.
Thanks, Ben ☺️
You're doing it right, and you're doing great. Parenting is such a make-it-up-as-you-go process for everyone. Kids have different personalities, wants, needs, and "adulting" will sometimes interfere with spending time with the kiddos. No parent is perfect. From the details you've given, it seems like yours are headed down the path to being decent human beings, and that's all any parent can hope for. You're doing great!
Thanks, Andy. So are you! 💖
Yikes!!! Occasionally I need to read something like this to confirm my decision not to have children!!! Maybe they will take care of you when you are old.......
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. One could only hope.
Great piece, Nicci. I wish when my kids were young, I'd taken a moment like this to take stock and tell myself it's okay that I wasn't the perfect mom I promised myself I would be. I could have been, if the kids had cooperated.
So, really, it's their fault. 😉
Haha if only the kids would do what they needed to do, we’d all be perfect parents! Seriously though they don’t warn you how complex things are before you have babies.
No, they don't. 'Having babies' is like a microsecond in the lives of parents. Nobody tells us they're going to stop being soft and cuddly and totally dependent, and when that day comes there's no going back. They'll have spent their baby days learning to do for themselves, and the times we laugh at their attempts at independence will come back to haunt us when we discover they've learned only too well.
One of their first words is 'no'. The power of that word must be startling to them when they see how well it works. Again, we laugh but the last laugh's on us!
Really enjoyed this piece. I have two daughters and the fun of seeing them grow is a privilege to me. This is such a great personal piece of writing.
Thanks so much. My daughter came in from school today on the phone with a friend and, with all the anxiety and uncertainty and a-normalness over the last 3+ years, I had a moment of pure contentment that she’s able to be just a little normal.
Agreed. Thank makes so much sense for sure. Normal-ness is under rated
Really enjoyed this piece, Nicci.
Thanks so much. Roller coaster of emotions over here. 😂😭