4 Times Your Family Takes You by Surprise
As a mother, there are rare times when you are truly surprised. Blow-out diapers no longer send you into the same shock that they once did, hearing the kids fighting is no longer something to leap up for. But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t times that your family will surprise you in good (and sometimes bad) ways.
Before you resign yourself to never being surprised, remember that you may have some of these to look forward to:
1. The first time your kid does something truly selfless for someone on their own.
We all work hard to make sure that our kids grow up to be helpful, productive and caring members of society. No matter how young they are, when you notice them doing kind things for others, it can be one of the most surprisingly satisfying moments. Whether it is your toddler offering to kiss a boo-boo or your teen volunteering to help others, it is always a surprisingly proud moment.
2. When you realize that your kids don’t wake you up in the night anymore.
This is one of the surprises that really does sneak up on you. You will wake up one morning and realize that not only have you been sleeping through the night, but your kids actually seem to like sleeping. Even if it isn’t until they are teenagers, this will come when you least expect it. Enjoy it, bask in it, this is what you have worked for.
3. The first time you hear your child say a curse word.
We can file this one under: “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY???”Kids are like sponges, they absorb everything they hear and see, but it is still a bit of a shock when they say a bad word. No matter how careful you are about keeping kids from bad words, there may come a time when they hear it somewhere else and ask you what it means, and the first time you hear a no-no word come from their innocent voices it can be a surprise. Just remember, this happens to almost all parents and if your child says a bad word once, it in no way means you have failed in some way.
4. When your spouse does a major chore without having to be asked even once.
Lets just address one thing: very few people are able to keep a spotless house after they have children. Now that we have that out of the way, it is also important to note that we all fall into routines and sometimes the big chores, like changing the oil in the car or vacuuming under the sofa that become a little neglicted. Even if you aren’t the type to tell your spouse what to do, it is always a wonderful surprise when you come home to one of those big chores being done without having to ask. A little bit goes a long way when this happens.
There will be other times that your family truly surprises you, of course. You may come home one day and be surprised by the fact that you haven’t heard your children argue with each other in days, or maybe it is a more large-scale surprise like getting breakfast in bed and a spa day out of the blue. But through it all, these surprises, good and bad, will come when you least expect them.