Reactive Vs. Proactive Parenting

Now that the baby is one year old and my toddler is coming out of a seriously draining "threen-ager" phase (which may actually have been more challenging than caring for an infant), I'm finally finding my energy!

These last few years have been tough.  Kids aside, I've also been caring for pets.  Much loved and adored in our home, of course, but an added responsibility that caused a ton of stress for us as we started our family.  And as they age, I found that I wasn't able to proactively enjoy them because I was too busy caring for them- feeding them, picking up accidents, picking up ANOTHER accident, letting them out, letting them in....

Sadly, one of our pets had to be put down last spring.  It was one of the hardest things we've had to do as a couple- my husband and I.  And I miss the idea of our dog, but eliminating one responsibility from my plate has actually allowed me to catch my breath a bit.

So much of this last year was just about reactive parenting for me.  My energy levels were only allowing me to react to needs that happened throughout the day- A middle of the night feeding, a dirty diaper, thirst/hunger... a dog that needed to be let out, a messy accident that needed to be cleaned up, a stomach bug, a nightmare, an early riser....

Add the responsibilities of starting a new job and working from home, taking care of the older kids, staying on top of their schedules, managing the house, the groceries.... it was a really hard year for me.

But now my one year old has started sleeping from 7p-6:30a and my toddler is demonstrating an ounce of empathy, respect and maturity.  And it has been amazing.  I find myself primed to approach parenting more proactively now that I feel like I am not constantly being "sidelined" to handle a hiccup or the unexpected (but often anticipated) meltdown.  I am ready to proactively parent as opposed to reactively parent.

I'm finding time to stop and collect my thoughts.  Time to get organized, to throw away the clutter (literally, I have way too much stuff in this house because I've just been stockpiling it for when I could find the time to go through it!).  And, even better, time to get back on here and to really write about my favorite thing- my family!  Although skincare and Purity will always be a close second!

I gave my blood, sweat and tears to the first year of life for all of my kids.  And while there were struggles and ups and downs that I could never have expected, I feel like we've made it.  Yes, there are more challenges ahead, but to have come out of our final "first year of life" experience and to feel proud about how we got it done is the best reward that this mom needs.

And now I will be renovating a wardrobe that hasn't been touched since 2011 and indulging in all of the facials and massages a mom deserves!

Thanks for reading!  And I hope you can relate!  Do you know someone who might appreciate this post?  Please share with your friends who may appreciate it!

xox,
Kate