I My daughter turned two a little over a month ago. Last year when she turned one I wrote about what I learned along the way. So without further ado here are the lessons I learned in my baby’s 2nd year!
Lessons I Learned In My Baby’s 2nd Year
I needed more patience and coping skills than last year.
Trying to calm a fussy baby is one thing. Trying to calm an emerging toddler is in an entirely different category by itself. My patience wasn’t just tested. I needed to develop even more patience and coping skills. Having to be the calm when my daughter is being the chaos can be challenging. But it is up to me to be an example of calm even in the face of really tough emotions.
Leading by example is exhausting.
I’ll admit that leading by example is one of my least favorite duties of being a parent. When you don’t have kids there is no one but yourself to be accountable for. Being a parent, you constantly have a tiny developing human looking to you for guidance of how to be a decent human being. It’s a lot of pressure and frankly exhausting. I do my best to make the best of whatever comes my way in my daughter’s presence but sometimes but still…
Privacy is slim to none.
Once my daughter could walk there was nowhere I could go in the house she couldn’t go. She is my shadow. If she’s not sitting/standing on me, near me, or in my arms she’s more than likely asleep. I can’t remember the last time I peed alone. Her enthusiasm for me is infectious and when she’s not within arms length of me I do get worried. However, I never knew how much I appreciated personal space until now.
Alone time is vital to my sanity.
I value my alone time. The best acts of self-care for me have been when I am completely alone. Whether it’s been a quick solo vacay or just 30 minutes after my daughter has went to sleep to enjoy a cup of tea. It is mentally rewarding to have time when I don’t have to worry about anyone but myself. Sometimes alone time is the best time.
It’s not about if she’ll remember but the moments spent together.
I love taking my daughter to theme parks, special events, and museums. I could care less if she’ll remember. That’s what pictures and videos are for. I do care about the moments we spend together. I do care about me remembering her face light up when she encounters something new. I will probably look back in laugh about her stubborn moments when we went out. I’ll definitely try my best to lower my expectations too. But it’s not about if she’ll remember but the moments we spent together.
