They’re only under two for two years.
I heard that sentence on a podcast for mompreneurs and it stuck out to me. You see, at the time I heard it, I was in the process of starting a virtual assistant business on top of blogging and being a Young Living distributor. The thing was, I had just closed my Etsy shop due to low return on investment and wanting more time to spend with my crazy, busy toddler. Surviving the early years wasn’t enough. I wanted to be present.
I got out of the shower (am I the only one who listens to podcasts in the shower?) and promptly took down some ads I had posted concerning the new business venture. I made the decision to do virtual assisting work when I came across a good fit, but not to actively seek it out, even if that meant I only had one job every so often. I wanted the time to be present in my toddler’s life, even if that meant giving up on something I wanted.
They’re only under two for two years.
That is a great thing in some circumstances. Under two can be such an exhausting time. Newborns are tough, especially if they don’t sleep. Teething is hard for all people involved. Tantrums and learning to run away, also hard… especially in the Target parking lot. That under two years old stage is hard and to the bones exhausting. It seems like it’s never going to end and you’re never going to get any independence back.
But…..
It’s also an amazing time. They learn and grow so much! It’s amazing that they go from just born and not being able to even hold their head up to being able to talk, walk, eat regular food, play, etc. in just two years. It’s so fast! They are adorable at that age and still want lots of mommy snuggles.
You see, mamas, two years can feel like a lifetime when you’re in the middle the sleepless nights and constant care of a person who is dependant on you for everything. It can feel like it’s never going to end and you’re going to be in the trenches of having littles forever. It’s really not forever. It does end.
They are only under two for two years.
It sounds dumb. I mean, obviously, they can’t be under two years old for three or four years. That doesn’t even make mathematical sense! Really think about that sentence for a minute. It’s only two years. Two!!! You survived four years of high school and maybe even two to four (or more) years of college. Two years isn’t very long at all.
I’m certainly not going to tell you that you’ll miss this someday. No one misses the puke in the hair or sleep deprivation or checkout line meltdowns. I’m not going to tell you to enjoy every moment. Anyone who tells you that is so far removed from having small children, they don’t remember all the hard parts.
What I am going to tell you is to cherish the good moments, to remember the moments they crawled up in your lap to cuddle. I’m going to tell you to know that your career can wait two years, that most business opportunities will still be there. Sure, go ahead, start a blog or a business. Continue your job if you have one. It’s okay. But don’t put all your time and effort into it. Don’t pack so much into your days that you don’t remember what happened or you just do things from habit (talking to myself on this one too). Be sure to enjoy a little time with your child every day to let them know they are truly the most important thing to you.
Remember to take the time to watch your baby and toddler grow. Those two years won’t feel as long when they are over. Remember to build in time to play and read and snuggle. And remember that the hard days and long nights aren’t forever. You will get through this.
They’re only under two for two years, mamas. Two, short years.
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