Having children is one of the joys of my life, most of the time! As with most things in life, there are often challenges, but the joy you feel when holding the baby in your arms for the first time is something that can’t be replaced. It’s such an amazing thing, reproducing another human being.
When you start out as a parent, there are a number of things that are overwhelming – will I be a good parent; there’s so much advice available but whose should I take; am I doing this thing right? It can be so confusing.
I can assure you that it usually does get easier with each child you have. By our fifth baby, I was an expert. But I really would’ve liked to have known everything that I knew when having the fifth, when I’d had the first. Things would have been so much clearer and easier!
So in saying that, I’d like to offer a little bit of advice to those of you with young children that I wish I’d known when I was first starting out, things that I should have taken the time to do more of when I had the opportunity. Hopefully you will find something in this helpful.
Your babies are only going to be little for such a short time – I can still clearly remember having the first, and she will turn 21 this year. Where did all the time go? Take the time to enjoy every day you have with them. Before you know it, they will have grown up right in front of your eyes, and you don’t want to miss it. Don’t just get through it, take the time to enjoy it.
Don’t be in a hurry to get back to work. There are so many different seasons in our lives, and being at home with your children is one of the most important seasons for you and for them. No one will love your child like you do. I realize that some people have to go back to work for one reason or another, but if you can stay at home with them, make the most of the opportunity and don’t spend your time wishing you were back at work!
Children want to feel secure, so give them plenty of your attention, and plenty of hugs and kisses. Spend time doing things that they like, teaching them new things, showing them new places, sharing in their joy, laughter and tears. Make childhood fun for them, something that they will look back on with many fond memories.
Parents are the most important people in a child’s life, and have the most influence in shaping their characters, thoughts, opinions, hopes and dreams. A child’s most impressionable years are between birth and seven – whatever you put into them during those years will be one of the major influences for the rest of their lives. Invest wisely in them emotionally, spiritually and physically.
Your family is a gift from God, and although it’s never all smooth sailing, invest now and they will be your greatest asset and your best earthly reward.
Kerrie Takle - Family Life and Motherhood 
I loved reading your post. So true! I have 5 children myself and I always say “oh goodness, I wish I knew then, what I knew now” everything would be so much easier. Although these did become easier, thing was still different with each child, but a little easier. My 23 yr old is having our first grandchild in a few weeks and I’ve been telling her to make sure she spends as much time as she can with him, before returning to work and to make his first 7 years the best for him. Nice Post!
Thanks Dani for your encouraging words. Hope all goes well with the birth of your grandchild. Bless you.
I wish we could see that we don’t need so many of the things that we think we need, which requires us to go back to work so soon. I pray that we are not raising a generation of parents who will regret missing out on so many milestones with their kids.
Because…. at the end of the day if it is a Toyota or an Audi it is still a car 🙂