Letting Go of Control Series: Parenting

My baby is growing up so fast. 

A week ago during lunch we gave him his first big boy cup of juice. I kneeled down next to him and placed his hands on either side of his Ducky cup. He lifted it up, I held my breath, and he took his first sip. 

I pulled my hands away and he lifted the cup enough to drink every last drop of juice. 

No problems. No spills. My boy had reached yet another milestone in 2 years of life. 

Fast forward a week. 

I was attempting to make my son a bottle of milk for his nap and I dropped it spilling it all over the floor. Just my luck, I thought. 

It was just one of those days, you know the days where everything was going wrong. 

Then as I am wiping up the floor, I hear a splash coming from our living room/dining area. Liquid hitting carpet and a little voice shouting Oh My! I turn to see my son with his big boy cup upside down in his hands. Orange juice all over his chair and the carpet. 

I practically cried. But all that would come out was a silent whimper. 

I am sure you know that with kids these moments are constant. Toys everywhere, milk all over the floor or goldfish smashed into the carpet. These kids whether we enjoy it or not are learning, discovering with everything they do, see and hear. Including the juice being dumped out everywhere. 

As parents we need to remember that these babies are their own person with their own feelings, likes, dislikes, curiosity, and wonder. And they are still new. They do not know any better. 

They are still trying to understand how things work, so as mamas we need to learn to take a deep breath and let those little things go. 

Enjoy the messiness of life because our reaction is what shapes them as they grow. 

They will remember being snapped at when they made a mistake, so that when they are faced with a bigger mistake, they may not come to us. Instead, we should look at the mess and laugh. Hug them, tell them that it's ok and teach them how to clean it up. 

It shows them that we love them regardless of their mistakes, and that the little things in life aren't worth being upset over. 

So Mamas, lets choose to let go of control with our little babies actions. The small things that we can't control will not matter in the end, but the love and compassion that we show certainly will. 

If you do loose your cool with your little ones: 

Take a deep breath, apologize and remember that it is never too late to start your day over again!