As parents, we have an amazing job to help shape our children into the adults they one day will be. We all like to talk about the milestones our babies achieve, and those are so exciting! However, moms and dads have milestones too! They are less exciting but just as important. Here are some major parenting milestones that we should all be proud of.
Leaving Baby for the first time
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Let’s face it, if we never had to leave our babies, most of us wouldn’t for a very long time. There smell, smiles and just the way they feel are so addictive. However, there comes a time for every mom where we have to leave our children for longer than a shower or a trip to the grocery store. Whether it is returning to work or going on a trip, we all have to leave them in someone else’s care. That first time can be so hard. Almost gut wrenching. However, this is a huge milestone for moms! You experience your first taste of freedom. You feel like your pre-baby self again. Of course, you may not be able to stop thinking about, talking about, and looking at pictures of your little cutie, but not doing those things will come with time. Plus, you never really stop thinking about them constantly.
Baby’s first big booboo
No one likes seeing their baby hurt, but that first big one is always the worst. You’ve lived through little bumps of the head and scratches from those razor blade like fingernails, but the first time they are really bleeding is so scary. When you realize you can make it through a big ouchie, while mostly holding it together, all the other ouchies seem like a piece of cake. Just remember, instead of beating yourself up that your baby got hurt, remember that you were there to comfort them and make sure they were okay. Along with the first big boo-boo, we also have the first big sickness.
The first public toddler meltdown
We’ve all seen those mom’s in the store. Their toddler is screaming at the top of their lungs, possibly throwing and kicking things, and mom looks mortified as onlookers give them dirty looks. I’ve officially been there. The first huge toddler meltdown my daughter had was so embarrassing. My cheeks were on fire and I could just feel people staring at me. Well, I made it through that one and much more since. Now, I don’t care how people look at me or what they have to say, but that first tantrum was a doozie.
Dealing with unwanted parenting advice
The first time that you get parenting advice from a stranger and realize you really don’t have to be interested in what they are saying is so liberating. Sure, that mom at the park could just be trying to be helpful. That dad at the grocery store could be trying to shame you for how you are parenting, but so what? The first time you realize this and just say, “thanks for the advice,” and walk away is one heck of a milestone. This one can take a very long time for some people, or can happen very early. It doesn’t matter when, but one day, most parents find this parenting milestone very satisfactory.
Taking your kid to school for the first time
This heartbreaking milestone is one all of us have to experience at some point. It’s not just saying goodbye to lazy days together that you are going to miss, but this is the first step to your baby really growing up. Even if you sent your kid to daycare since they were 6 weeks old, this is still one that is hard for almost everyone.
Surviving the teenage years
Puberty is a fearsome word, as you can read about in You Want to Talk About What?? The Do’s and Don’ts of the Puberty Talk. With so many mommy milestones packed into such a short time, the teenage years can be a real challenge. With high school, puberty, dating, and just all of the attitude, the teen years can be tough parenting milestones for you and your teens!
Becoming Grandparents Parenting Milestones
I feel like this is the final parenting milestone, in many ways. Watching your kids become parents themselves and meeting all of these milestones for the first time. I imagine it is a beautiful thing to see. I look forward to that time, but would never want to rush the time I have raising these amazing little ones I have now. I know my parents love watching the woman, and mother I have become.
Now, I could write about parenting milestones all day long, but no one would read that list. Parenting milestones are just as important as babies. These little people change who we are in so many ways, and it is important to recognize our growth as well. Enjoy the milestones, roll with the punches, and just keep on loving those babies!
