So my daughter is now a 5 year old, and I seriously have no clue how time flew so fast. Looking back at those years, I feel so grateful for everything we’ve been through with Sally. All the good, the bad, the fun, and the tantrums. Every experience helped shape her into the incredible girl she is now And all the difficult and happy days helped make me and my husband the parents we are today.

Make no mistake, these 5 years will forever be the hardest. You will question every word you say and every decision you make. BUT! But you’ll learn so much that they’ll turn out to be the best years you’ve ever lived.

So, what were the top 5 things my 5 year old Sally taught me?

• It gets easier. For real!

I’m not sure whats the reason behind this but dealing with a 5 year old feels somewhat easier than communicating with a 3-year-old. The thing is 5 years later, your child has developed a good set of verbal and communication skills that she can express herself more clearly.

And after handling 5 years wort of tantrums you’ve also gotten used to your kid. And after 5 years of co-living, you must know what every cry really means. And make no mistake; the tantrums don’t end and your child won’t magically turn into a saint. You simply grow more patient and understanding.

So for all of you suffering with a THREE-NAGER, hang in there. It’ll get easier.

• You are the best parent your child can have

No matter how you feel, even if your mom guilt is eating you, or even if you’re still not where you wanna be physically and mentally, you are the best parent your child can have. Your kids only care about you being there and engaging in fun, understanding and intriguing conversations and activities with them. Regardless of how you look or how harsh you’re judging yourself on the inside. And 5 years later, you really shouldn’t let people’s judgments or comments get to you. Because as far as your kid is concerned you are the best mom EVER!

• Loosen up & have fun

  

Motherhood or parenthood is as stressful as we let it be. So, rather than worrying yourself sick of your kids, and complaining about them not going to bed at 7 PM, chill!

Loosen up and spend more quality time with them. If I learned anything from my 5 year old it’s that the sillier I act and talk, the more fun we have. And ultimately, the closer we grow.

Trust me when I say, motherhood is tricky enough as it is. And being a working mom got me too stressed all the time. So I learned t sit at a table with sally and Kareem, color together, and race with tiny cars. Oh! And dancing together to their favorite songs is kinda our special thing now.

• There’s No Limit to How Much You Love!

You think you really love your baby? Wait until she’s a sassy 5 year old! I’m not even kidding. The older and more talkative they get the more proud you’ll feel. And the more love you’ll have for tem and the person they’re becoming.

• You CAN Pull Off Building a Career & Raising Kids.

From my personal experience, being a successful working woman and a mom at the same time is not impossible. I have met with so many women who’d put their careers on hold while they raised their kids. And I have the utmost respect for these women. However, I personally made the choice of trying to pull off both roles no matter what. It comes at the cost of my house being a mess most of the time. But who cares? Didn’t I just say loosen up? And this could as well cost you a big piece of your social life. But real friends would understand!

And yes, my little one goes to daycare. And I don’t feel ashamed. He’s happy! He gets to spend time with kids his age, and he’s learning so many new tricks. And to be honest, I’m not sure me staying home with him would’ve helped him so much. Our Sundays at home are usually very loud and unproductive. 😀

So, you can do both. You can be a mom and build a career when you decide to.

Wrapping up!

Raising kids is hard. That’s no myth and no sweet words can make it easier. However, realizing that this journey will get more enjoyable and more interesting with time can ease your pain a bit for now. And knowing that you have a beautiful, healthy, and perfect child makes this worth every second!