A couple weeks ago, on a rainy Thursday evening, my husband and I sat with our neighbors on their deck and shared a bottle (or two…or three) of wine. Our neighbors are also parents of three young children, so we relate on many levels. As the conversation progressed, it inevitably took a turn toward our children. That’s when my neighbor said something that completely resonated with me. She was talking about the transition from one to two children and then from two to three children. She said the transition from one to two children was fairly smooth. It took a good amount of adjustment, but it was manageable. It was the transition from two to three when she realized safety became an issue. She flat out said, “having three children feels unsafe.” Simply said, but it summed up exactly how I’ve been feeling for the past 9 months. It so perfectly described how I feel a LOT of the time as I continue to adapt to daily life with three kids. There are so many parenting “don’ts” that I frequently have no choice but to “do.” Let me give you some examples:
1). I leave all my children playing together unsupervised.
2). When Linnea is in the bathtub, I often step away for a brief moment.
3). I let Linnea play alone in the backyard.
4). I don’t actually strap Joey and Eliza into their high chairs.
5). I leave the kids in the car while I unload groceries.
You get the idea. Now, obviously I do all these things only momentarily. I can always still see or hear the kids from wherever it is I momentarily ran off to, but I also always tell myself: You should know better. Accidents happen in seconds. *sigh*
As a parent, I have to pick and choose my battles each and every day. I constantly remind myself that I’m doing the best I can. I can only protect my children as much as my mind and body will allow…and I just have to find peace in that. I’m only one person (up against 3). Oh, and Eliza and Joey, who are almost 9 months, are now crawling and pulling themselves up onto everything. I’m going to need more of my protective mind and body than ever before. Wish me luck, my friends, wish me luck.
