I had the sweetest conversation with my 4 year old the other day. She wanted to know the stages of life, so I said, “First you’re a baby, then a toddler, then a school age kid, then a teenager, then an adult.” She said, “I can’t wait to go to kindergarten!”, and I asked, “What is mommy?” There was a long pause and she looked at me and said, “a adult toddler.” I laughed, and then I thought about it, I do feel like an adult toddler!
As a 30 something year old I feel like I am learning about life all over again through the eyes of my children. They bring me new perspective each and every day. Some days I feel like I want to throw a tantrum, and some days I feel like I want to run and play in the dirt without a care in the world. Sometimes I feel sassy, and sometimes I just ask why. Lots and lots of why. Never to really get an answer, and only to continue to ask why. I often want to go to bed at 730PM and not wake up until 6AM, and I never want to eat my vegetables. (Cereal every meal would be my jam.)
I am re-learning how to manage my emotions because after becoming a parent and turning 30, I have new emotions I have never had to manage before. I am learning how to communicate all over again, to my children, to people in my life, and to my husband. We all evolve and change over time, and sometimes you just need to re-calibrate, and that is where I am. Re calibrating. Very much like an adult toddler would.
I am not an all know-er — I am a learner, which is probably why I am feeling like I am back in a toddler state. Learning new things as I am getting older and figuring out this new life as parents. Figuring out how to be married as parents. Figuring out how to be me as a parent. I guess my next stage would be a school age kid! Perhaps my 40s will be all about being a school aged kid all over again!
Thank you for the perspective sweet daughter of mine. You are right. I am an adult toddler.
xo, jessica
the honest truth 