Being a “More Experienced” Mom of Littles

Now that my daughter (our youngest) is 4, we have entered in to the realm of school and sports for our preschooler.  This time in our lives seems to mark a pivotal point in my parenting journey to date, from being a “new mom” to a “more experienced mom” of younger children.  I didn’t actually notice this change until recently when I started going to my daughter’s school, taking her to soccer, and meeting more parents of kids in her age group.  With my son, our oldest, he is 8, I was always the “new mom.” For my husband and I, we were always navigating new waters with every stage he entered in to. And now, with my daughter it’s very different.  We “show up” differently (mentally, okay maybe physically too) to events for her and have a different way of approaching things (albeit more slowly and more tiredly). I notice when I talk to parents with kids my daughter's age (and for many of them the 3-4 year old is their oldest child), they will ask me questions about how we did things with my son, what places we went to, and resources that I might know about.  And it’s been interesting for me to realize I actually have some answers! A few years back, I was doing all the asking. I would reach out and ask all the more experienced parents around me how things worked, what they recommended, and where/what I should do for certain things. I still do that now for my son, but it’s much less. I am more comfortable, more confident (maybe), more resourceful (thank you internet, podcasts, and self-help/parenting books), and I suppose just more experienced in raising young children now.  The adolescent/pre-teen/teen years are in the back of my mind though, and this will be a reality check for me, I am sure!