Time flies and in the blink of an eye our children grow up . There are many famous phrases and quotes about life with children or that fit perfectly with it. But without a doubt one of my favorites is the one that says that days are long but years are short.
And although as parents it gives us joy and pride to see everything they achieve every day, there are also times when we see with nostalgia how much they have grown. I share a personal reflection with you, in which I talk about that bittersweet feeling that we have with each achievement or milestone of our children .
The milestones of our children
Just as there are definitions for each stage of life such as childhood, adolescence and adult life, within parenting there are numerous important events that are milestones or moments that mark a before and after:
The baby’s first smile, the start of his babbling, his first words, the first time he is able to sit up on his own, the moment in which he begins to take other foods, crawling and his first steps, to name a few of the most large.
Each of them are tangible proof that our baby is growing every day , knowing more about his body and how the world around him works. We see him continue to advance and develop in an accelerated way, particularly the first years of life.
As parents, it is natural to be filled with joy every time one of those milestones occurs , or when we realize that our children grew up while we seemed to not realize it and they surprise us doing things that they were previously unable to do.
And the fact is that children grow up in the blink of an eye: one day you have a baby in your arms, tiny and totally dependent on you to survive, and the other, it is a preschool-age child who is bombarding you with questions all day, and then that child is about to enter adolescence.
Joy and nostalgia at the same time
It is very nice to see the children grow up. But there is a small part that they do not always mention to us: it is also painful. Because although we celebrate each milestone, each success and each important event, we also live a little mourning .
Motherhood and fatherhood are full of these bittersweet moments, in which we feel joy and nostalgia at the same time . With each step that our children take, we are moving away from one more stage that has ended.
We welcome with open arms the wonders, joys and surprises that are to come, but we look back with a touch of sadness at those moments that we know will never return. Because although many times we want them to stay small, the reality is that one day they will spread their wings and take flight .
That is why life with children is something that only those of us who are parents can truly understand. Because only by experiencing it firsthand, we understand that it can make us very happy, but also make us feel infinitely sad .
Our children grow up, and we realize that although we can still hug them, their bodies are no longer so small and we cannot fully shelter them. That little boy who took clumsy steps towards our arms is now beginning to form his own path .
But from my personal point of view, I believe that milestones are not only developmental achievements for children. Also, they are very specific moments in which life is in charge of reminding us that they are growing, and that for that reason we must enjoy each stage to the fullest .
Therefore, dear parents, let us embrace every moment with our children. Thus, we will celebrate each new milestone and stage in their lives with great enthusiasm, but we will also be able to remember with nostalgia, but with much love, those things that will never return and that at the time made us immensely happy.
Photos | iStock, @unamamamillennial
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