There’s a quote I keep seeing on Instagram that is guaranteed to make me laugh, every single time: “People tell you the newborn stage is the hardest… DO NOT LISTEN. The newborn stage is THE BEST. They sleep, they cuddle, their little cry is adorable. Toddlers are savages. Toddlers do not fucking care.”
Genuinely, I LOL. Because they don’t. They really and truly don’t.
However, despite the tantrums and the teething and the unreasonable demands on our time come 4am, I have to say, my toddler is awesome. (And newborns are, hands down, harder 😉.) Toddler life in itself is awesome, at least 75%* of the time. And here are ten reasons why:
1/ Having a toddler is like having a tiny best friend. Albeit one with a bit of a rage problem, who you wait on hand and foot. But still, they’re always there. They listen intently to most of what you’re saying, even if their deepest response is ‘ta,’ or a violent shake of the head. They share their well pawed snacks with you. They cuddle you more enthusiastically than the situation ever merits. They’ll even sit and have a cuppa with you if they’re in the mood for it which, as a Brit, you can’t say fairer than (is it their fault the ‘tea’ is served in miniscule, completely empty teacups? No, it is not)
2/ And their wild ways keep your brain alive. Raise your hand if, as a newborn mum, you ever had the sensation of your brain quietly leaking out of your ears and running down the side of your head. Newborns are adorable, but intellectually stimulating? Not so much. Toddlers are an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in snot, and they are the perfect brain booster for mamas that crave a thought that goes beyond ‘is that poo a funny colour?’
3/ Seeing them learn something new is more fun to watch than anything on Netflix. Honestly, it’s the best
4/ And their accomplishments are your accomplishments, so bask in that pride. I taught my son how to imitate a fish last week. And now when I say ‘what does a fish do?’ and he does it, I feel like recording it and sending it to everyone I know, twice
5/ Toddlers are, hands down, hilarious. Have you ever met anyone with a cracking sense of humour who, the second they think you find something even slightly funny, keeps repeating the joke, just to make you laugh? That’s what a toddler does. Honestly, it’s like having a tiny live-in comedian accommodating to just your tastes. And I am not in any way against that scenario
6/ And they’re also brilliant fun to be around, when you’ve had enough sleep. There are smiles, cuddles, games of football, tea parties, dance routines, unexpected hide and seek…
7/ Speaking of which, their unpredictability keeps things interesting. Like when they let out an excited shriek and trust fall off the sofa into thin air, and you have to throw yourself across the room to prevent a headfirst collision with the floor. You don’t get that in the workplace, let me tell you. Absolutely mental
8/ And their kisses make all the bad moments disappear. Even the sloppy ones. Especially the sloppy ones, actually. Those are the ones you can really feel they put their heart and soul into. A good deal of saliva, too, but that’s beside the point
9/ Toddlers open up a whole new world of creativity. Especially when you can’t leave the house for whatever reason, leaving you to engage that creative part of your brain hard. Who knew there were so many extraordinary uses for such common household items? Before Coronavirus, I thought a spoon was just a spoon *laughs heartily* OH HOW WRONG I WAS!
10/ And they make you appreciate the time you get to yourself, even if you spend all of that time at work, or cleaning up their trail of destruction. And there’s really nothing wrong with being exhausted into practising gratitude every now and then, if you ask me
And there we have it.
Sure, the toddler life is not a perfect life. I mean, the above picture was taken during naptime recently, so you can see how well things sometimes go down around here. But our toddlers are a tiny miracle and I, for one, am glad for the little whirlwind that is mine
♡
*We won’t talk about the 25% today. The 25% is a dark, dark place.
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