How My Toddler Actually Makes My Life Simpler
Being a toddler is a precarious age. Tantrums run rampant, moods are unpredictable, and their craving for independence can be draining to any parent. No wonder they call it the terrible-twos.
However, as much as having a two year can be a challenge to any parent, I think there is still a silver-lining beneath it all. Between the breakdowns and the impulsive temperament, I truly believe that having a toddler simplifies my life more than it complicates it.
So, here’s a few little ways my daughter makes my life just a little bit better…
She makes my wardrobe more practical
High-heeled shoes, tailored pants, silk blouses, these are what my closet usually held on a daily basis. So, when I had my daughter and became a stay-at-home mom, many of these items made the transition with me. Of course, there were some minor adjustments: my tailored pants were replaced by comfortable jeans, silk blouses with printed tops, and my collection of high heels were passed over for my tried and true flats. Everything fit just as well as my old wardrobe staples, and it certainly doesn’t make me look any less like the person I used to be, but now the clothes I wear serve a different purpose: to disguise my changing body type, to accommodate my energetic daughter in the playground, and to ensure comfort during the bursts of writing I do during the day.
She makes me rest easier
It’s no secret that sleep is a luxury parents rarely get. From birth to adulthood, we parents provide, worry and concern ourselves with our children, so much so that we literally lose sleep over it. That’s why we take what we can get, however we can get it. Whether that means 5 minutes on the couch, an hour nap with our infant, or just a quick doze before picking them up from school, sleep is rare, but it comes so easy once we have a chance. Gone are the days when we took a warm bath to help us doze, lit incense or lavender candles to help us stay asleep. Now it’s as simple as a warm blanket and a comfortable spot; we can sleep anywhere.
She makes my weekends hassle-free
Before my daughter was born, my husband and I used to plan elaborate weekends. We’d stay overnight at our favorite hotel in NYC, we’d plan a long weekends with friends, and even spend a week vacationing with them at a rented beach house. We traveled—a lot. Hours in the car, days spent packing and unpacking, it was all an adventure; and we both moved so quickly.
Now, our weekends are bit tamer. With a two-year old, traveling on a whim just doesn’t happen any more. Sure, we go for day trips, and we’ve taken plenty and allowed our daughter to experience a lot on our journeys, but nothing beats the pleasure of being close to home. It’s a far cry from our travels before we had her, but it also allows us to slow down somehow—to cherish the little years we have left with her, to document every milestone she crosses. It lets us to keep her little just a little bit longer. After all, time speeds up enough for all of us, so any way to slow it down helps.
She makes my routines less complicated
A typical day with my daughter usually consists of two things: 3 hefty meals and loads of playtime—either with friends, outside, or just the two of us. Sure, there are errands to be run, chores to be completed, and work to be done in between, but so long as my daughter is fed and entertained somehow, the day is perfect—simple as that.
Of course, everyday for every family is different. Some will have more or less on their plate than others, but just because the day is simple doesn’t mean it’s less frantic. We are dealing with a toddler after all; tantrums and breakdowns are bound to happen somehow.
I think time with a toddler, whether working from home or away, exclusively or with help, puts our days into perspective. It doesn’t matter if you spend all day with them or see them when you get home from work, a simple and hassle free routine with our children happens by default. I think it’s just our way of enjoying what little time we have with them. We don’t have to overcomplicate it any more than it should because we want that time to be spent well.
So small victories are claimed, little milestones are celebrated and everything is kept simple – for their sake and ours.
Maria is a mother, a wife, and a writer. She’s an avid collector of life’s little and big moments, and enjoys chronicling her first time parenting adventures on her blog, Collecting Moments. In between play groups and nap times, she spends her time wishing for more sleep and willing time to slow down just a bit (she’s yet to be successful at either). You can follow Maria on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
