'I already know this is the age I’ll miss most because it’s the one I’ve enjoyed most in the moment.'
, diaper blow-outs, and overall helplessness, there was no turning back. If we’d had our boys far enough apart for me to realize there was light at the end of that tunnel, I may never have agreed to a second one.Lucky for my youngest, I was pregnant again within thirteen months of having his brother, far too early to realize my post-kid quality of life could ever get better than five consecutive hours of sleep.
My kids are six and eight right now. I already know this is the age I’ll miss most because it’s the one I’ve enjoyed most in the moment. This is the age when they’re old enough to have personality and be reasonably independent, but still young enough to love me . Unlike ‘tweens, teens, threenagers, and terrible twos, there’s no name associated with this era, so I just call it what it is: The Golden Age Of Parenting.
Another reason I love six-to-eight is how much less they need me for the minutiae of day-to-day life. Tying the shoes, wiping the asses, zipping the jackets, shoving their heads into neck holes of shirts–are all tasks they can competently. It might take 20 minutes longer than the average adult, but they get it done. They can make their own fun, read their own books, find their own shows on Netflix.