Letter to Mommy's With Little Ones

Dear Mommy of Little Ones,

You can do it!  In fact, not only can you do it, you can do it well!

I remember the days mine were wee ones.

Days of walking Brianna in circles around our house while she screamed for hours.  It didn't help her any, but I did not know what else to do.

Days of eating Ramen noodles for almost every meal because I could not bring myself to get dressed enough to go out the door and to the store.  Then there were the days when I did make it to the store but by the time I got the groceries in the house, I had babies crying for my attention and I was exhausted so except for the fridge stuff, they stayed in the bags on the floor for about a week.

 

Then there was the mound of dirty clothes!! We were in the military when my first two were young and we had a basement where the washer and dryer were.  Since I did not have to look at the laundry it tended to accumulate like a mountain of sand!!  In fact I remember my mother in law coming after my second daughter was born and I put blankets over the mountain to hide it.  I guess I thought I was pulling one over on her, but I'm pretty sure she knew!!

I also remember having pretty severe postpartum depression. I was pregnant with my third when I saw on the news a lady that suffered from postpartum depression and ended up committing a heinous crime against her children.  I called my doctor the next day telling her that I was afraid of my depression coming back after my baby was born.

I remember the times I lost my temper and yelled in a voice that I know crushed my girls.  I remember the look on their faces when I did it...a mix of fear and complete sadness.

There were days when my frustration led to unsavory words slipping out followed by days of little girls repeating those words!

You see, I want you to know that I've had those days too and I've messed plenty of days up!  That's how I know you can do it.  Sometimes it might feel like you won't. And sometimes you might feel like you can't.  But kids are flexible!!  And though they might remember some of those days and bring them up whenever they want to tease you, they  mostly remember the other days.

Those days were full of laughter (they forget the messy house).  Full of picnics (they forget that we only had money for pb&j sandwiches).  They remember the stories that you read to them (they forget the times you fell asleep while reading them).

Best of all, they remember that you love them.  And in the end, that love covers a multitude of mistakes!!

I know it probably does not help you much for me to tell you that your kids will grow up so fast and you will look back on this time fondly.  So I won't (see how I snuck it in though??!!)

But what I do want to tell you is that you are doing a good job.  The dirty house, the less than healthy dinners, the days staying in your pj's....they are just a season and frankly they don't matter.  Just love on that sweet little one and don't worry about doing it all perfect.  God's mercy and grace extends to Mommy's too!