The girls change and grow so gradually over the years that sometimes it's hard to notice the major shifts in parenting. But lately I've really started to notice how different our life is now than it was just a couple years ago. Gone are the days of diaper changes, naptime woes, temper tantrums, chasing toddlers, and miscommunications. Now we have two school-aged daughters full of sillies, sass, and interesting discussions. Here is a glimpse of what our daily parenting is like at this stage.
Time. Steve and I have a lot more time to ourselves! Time for us to cook together, clean up the house, work on small projects, even play games or do crosswords. At this stage the girls get along really well and come up with all kinds of imaginative games to play together. Often they specifically ask us
not to join in their play (they're playing a "secret" game). It's always nice to see their growing independence.
Snacks Galore. While we're not requested as playmates as often as before, we are required for food supply! Emily and Jessica eat
a lot of snacks. Steve and I basically feel like half of our day is spent listing, cutting, and serving snacks. We won't be stopping any time soon though, since the healthiest foods they eat are at snack times (fruits, veggies, cheese, and cereal). Meals are mostly just pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches at the moment.
Manners. It's hard to get the girls to remember their manners. Too often they make commands like "I want milk!" and rarely do they remember to say "thank you." It can be pretty frustrating/disappointing, yet I'm not sure how we want to tackle the issue. For now we remind them to ask politely and say thank you, and hope that with time it will stick.
Mood Swings and Attitude. There seems to be an increase in mood swings lately. The girls can go from happy to sad, friendly to fighting, or neutral to sassy in a matter of seconds. Their typical response to anger is to stomp upstairs and (sometimes) slam their door shut. Better that than the days of
crying/screaming/hair-pulling! Jealousy is another big emotion that the girls are experiencing. Emily is very concerned with fairness and doesn't hesitate to tell you when something doesn't seem fair. We have a lot of talks about these topics!
Maturity. Yesterday while the girls were in another room, Steve and I overheard them discussing the "truth" about the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. Though we've never pushed the idea of these make-believe characters on them, I wonder where they suddenly got the idea that "It's just Mommy and Daddy." I was quite surprised at how quickly they took it as a fact and moved on, without asking us to confirm or deny.
Potty Humour. Speaking of maturity (or lack thereof), Emily and Jessica are
really into potty humour. Everything that has to do with pee, poo, bum, farts, etc. is
hilarious. Jokes and comments are made all day long, and it really entertains them. I'm happy that the girls understand there's a time and a place for things like that (when it's just us, at home).
Playing and Learning. There has definitely been a shift towards more intellectual games and interests. It's been fun as a family to learn about chess, do word search and crossword puzzles, or 300-piece jigsaw puzzles. The girls also enjoy math and reading, and are always interested in practicing their skills. I have to admit that this beats the days of singing
Old McDonald Had a Farm 100 times over.
Sleep. I'm probably going to jinx it by saying this, but the girls are
finally consistently sleeping through the night. Up until recently, Steve and I would often end up in the girls' rooms at night because of nightmares, night terrors, fears, or inability to get back to sleep. But both girls have been sleeping through the night for a few weeks now -- which means Steve and I wake up a lot more rested than before!
Structure. There is so much more structure, predictability, and enjoyment in the day. I'm content to be done the baby/toddler stages, and I'm definitely curious to know what comes next!
