Kids Say the Darndest Things

In the Tree House: Kids say the Darndest Things

By: Samantha S. Daviss

Motherhood is the most rewarding job, without a tangible paycheck, that you will ever carry out; some days are like a dream, and then there are those days that you just want to run and hide under a rock. Either from pure exhaustion, frustration, or just the need to be alone; and spend a couple hours without screaming, crying, arguments, poopy diapers, or piles of laundry waiting for you.

If you make the decision to become a mother, and then are blessed with the ability to be a mother regardless of how you became a mother…biologically, adoption, surrogacy…it doesn’t matter; motherhood is an honor, and a cult that we all must realize is a job and responsibility that we will have for the rest of our lives.

No matter how old they grow we will never stop loving them, no matter how tall they get we will never stop worrying about them, and no matter how powerful they become in the world, we can still take them over our knee at a moment’s notice.

Regardless of how many hours we put in changing diapers, or washing clothes, or driving from one activity to another; or the sleepless nights rocking them because of a 104 degree fever or a broken heart inflicted by that girl (or boy) at school…we wouldn’t have it any other way. Motherhood is a privilege, but it’s also a hindrance to any selfless independence you will ever have again. The love you feel for that little person, or persons, is undying. It is a love like no other, a devotion and allegiance you would die for in an instant without a moment’s hesitation.

But no matter how jovial your day is with your kids or how trying it has been; the things that come out of their mouths make your heart warm even more and the passion you have for your job as their mom, is even more fulfilling.

I have a few personal things my kids have recently said, that made my heart sing and my gut twist all in the same day…some offering humor and some offering exasperation; but that’s kids.

1)      My two younger boys helped me decorate a jar with Disney stickers, because they want to put their extra change in there to help save for our family trip to Disney World. And when Daddy got home from work, our middle son was so excited about his jar and saving for our trip, he showed the jar to his Daddy, and told him… “Daddy, we are saving our money for Disney World, you can come with us too if you want.”  I absolutely love their innocence.

2)      Our oldest son recently had a fantastic weekend with friends. It went from a spend the night and a high school football game with one buddy, to another spend the night the next day and two days tubing on the lake. Just getting to be a kid and hang out with all his friends without a care in the world. The next morning we got up and were headed out the door to school, when he turned to me and said “Hey Mom, are we going to get to do anything fun this week?” Sometimes I feel like a duck in the water…Good ol’ Mom is calm and cool on the surface, but underneath my feet are going crazy to try to entertain and make everyone happy.

3)      And the baby, who has learned that Mommy and Daddy only allow him to have his pacifier when it is bed time or “Night Night Time”. So even if he has just been awake for 20 minutes he says “Passy, I go night night”…Their mental capabilities to negotiate and “work the system” at such young ages amazes me sometimes. Even though I have had three of them, their abilities never cease to amaze me.

4)      And then there is the perception possessed by them all…if mom is having a bad day, which really isn’t too often, I guess that’s why they are all so receptive to it, is because I’m typically pretty upbeat. But all my boys know when Mom’s having a bad day. The oldest always asks if I’m okay and offers an immediate hug, my middle guy always lays his head in my lap and says “Mommy, why are you sad?”, and the little guy knows just when to climb up into to Mommy’s lap and just sit there with a smile on his face.

So you see, regardless of the lack of sleep, the imminent late nights of homework or bad dreams keeping someone awake all night…in addition to all the tickle sessions, the blanket forts, and late night talks of them confessing any problems or new crushes at school; motherhood is the most arduously rewarding job you will ever know. But regardless of the time spent together it’s their personalities and the things they say that keep it all in perspective.