Being a parent is the most emotional roller coaster ride I have ever been on. It’s like you love your children even when you should dislike them very much. You get ever so frustrated with them but still you find empathy and love for them. As a mom I have learned to develop patience at a level I never knew existed. I take my job as a mom very serious, well you know with light hearted humor involved too, but it’s the most important job I have ever had that reaps the best rewards ever. Unconditional love from your children is unlike any other love on this planet.
Raising a child with autism is no joke, that’s probably the most difficult part of my mom life. Often times I have to figure out what my son is upset about and quite frankly he could be upset about something that happened two weeks ago. My daughter is now a teen and while she isn’t nearly as rough as I thought she would be coming into the teen years, she has changed slightly even if she doesn’t realize it. Raising a teen daughter has taught me that sometimes we need to bite our tongues, for when I speak sometimes she will shut down when all I was trying to do was converse with her. My youngest child is ridiculously hyper, I am quite certain it is due to his poor food choices. This child is my pickiest eater and as we work to get him to eat new foods, he remains stubborn and goes without dinner.
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Being a parent seemed easy when I was a mom to one, I always said that if I were to be guaranteed a child like my first born I would have six children. She really was super easy and still to this day, I have little complaints. Currently I am dealing with the procrastinator side of my teen daughter where she is letting her grades slip but then after much encouraging discussions with me, she gets those grades fixed. I told her just the other night that she is giving me grey hairs with all of this grade stuff in her freshman year of high school. Shake my head.
My middle child, he has grown so much in just the last year alone. Now a 10 year old boy who is diagnosed as high functioning autistic he has found his dry, serious sense of humor that the family often laughs out loud at during our family dinner each night. He doesn’t like school but he works hard to get his work finished. Most recently he had a book report project and was adamant that a crossword puzzle was a word search puzzle which meant I had to remain ridiculously patient yet firm on just taking the project one step at a time. He ultimately got the project done and we will see what grade he gets.
My youngest child seems to be at an age of hormonal fluctuations, one minute he’s a sweet, affectionate boy and the next he’s a miserable little grumpy but. He always keeps me on his toes and Lord knows I spoil him more than I should. A true youngest child by definition, I am working to be more consistent and firm with him while still allowing him to be who he is – a fearless, free spirited, energetic boy.
I don’t think any parent knows what they are doing is right, all they know is what they feel is best. Parents mess up, we make poor decisions and we respond poorly at times. The joy of being a parent is that even during those times that we mess up; our children still find love in their hearts for us regardless of what decisions we make. I am proud to say, at this moment in parenthood, that my children will usually agree that they don’t like my rules, decisions or whatnot, but they do trust I always have their best interest at heart and am being the best Mama I can be.