Despite being in a sleep-deprived haze most of the time, parents of infants know that time is going to fly, and they'll look back and miss the days when their child was a baby. But a seasoned mom named Amy Betters-Midtvedt, who writes on Hiding in the Closet with Coffee, wants parents who have kids of all ages to know that embracing the moment is so important. After all, as Betters-Midtvedt says it can feel like you've gone from giving birth to preparing your kid for college in the blink of an eye.
In a piece on Love What Matters, Betters-Midtvedt wrote, "So, we left the hospital this morning with an infant and apparently drove directly to the Target college shop. Parents of littles, that is legit how fast it goes."
Amy Betters-Midtvedt
She went onto note, "I know that’s not how it feels when you haven’t slept for days, and it’s completely OK to just flick me right in the forehead when I tell you to enjoy all the moments. But I’m going to tell you anyway. You see we seasoned parents have to say it… we have to. Because we cannot believe we are here when we were you yesterday. Consider it part of our therapy."
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Betters-Midtvedt said her message is how she and other seasoned parents "make sure that every now and then (when you want to run away because we remember that too), you have a little voice reminding you to hang on in, because this too shall pass far more quickly than it feels like."
She continued, "And please feel free to hug me when I tell you this part is super-fun too. Parenthood is pretty much walking by the cute little baby flip flops and swimsuits while dying inside and wishing to have it all back and also being super excited to help your sweet new adult choose their first grown-up towels and not being able to wait to see what she does in life."
The blogger wrote that she "gives us all permission to have all the feels. No apologies and no excuses. Because it all really does go so fast… I’m just as annoyed as you are with this and swore, I’d never say this to you, but here we are friends."
Her conclusion: "Now go kiss whatever size kid is sitting next to you… even if they are driving you crazy. You can thank me later."
Amy Betters-Midtvedt
Many fellow seasoned parents on the Love What Matters Facebook page agreed with Betters-Midtvedt's message. Alyssa Parrott wrote, "I often find myself holding a door for a young mom, or smiling as she walks by with a screaming child, and say, 'Hang in there, I remember those days. You're doing a great job!' Sometimes they need to hear it."
Amber Gavin shared, "I'm on my lunch break from work sitting here...for my baby's first job interview. Never mind the fact I just left the hospital with her tiny 7-pound body nestled in my arms. It goes at warp speed!"
Tamara Davis agreed with Betters-Midtvedt's message, but explained why she wouldn't necessarily share it with moms of babies: "This is so true! I don’t ever say this to a young mother though, because when they are little, those days are long, and it’s hard to appreciate tiny toddlers having an epic meltdown in the middle of the checkout lane. I do tell young mothers that it gets easier and seriously more fun though."
It's true that "moms of littles" would appreciate a nuanced reassurance from veteran parents. As Maria Frantzen wrote, "We get it, we do! Even those of us with really young kids can already understand how fast it goes, and we can only imagine how it feels later! We appreciate and completely understand the sentiment, but sometimes we need acknowledgement of the difficulty of parenting, and not just dismissal of the hard stuff."
She continued, "Perhaps what more seasoned parents can try saying, if they feel the need to say anything, is something more along the lines of, 'I remember how hard those days were! Feels like just yesterday, but it all went by so fast. One day, it's the good moments that will stand out, but all of it, the good and the hard, is worth it to see them grown. Hang in there!'"
It's true. No matter what side of the parenthood timeline you're on, or how quickly time seems to be going, you'll undoubtedly appreciate hearing those three powerful words: "It's worth it."
