Time moves in a blur when you have children. One minute they're taking faltering steps across your kitchen floor, the next they're rolling their eyes at you in precocious teen-like gestures. Perhaps it always feels like our children are growing up too fast, but when my 7-year-old used air quotes accurately while we debated whether something was a Frisbee or a flying disc, a little piece of my heart squeezed so hard I couldn't catch my breath.
It's both charming and challenging when our littles grow up, and yet, isn't that the ultimate goal of parenthood? These moms weigh in on some signs that hit us straight in the heart when our babies grow up too fast:
RELATED: Children Just Don't Understand (And It's Not Their Job)
- "When my 22-month-old doesn't want to be snuggled before bed, he pushes me away and says 'done.' Sigh."
— Sarah Netter
- "My then 8-year-old asked on the way to school one morning, 'Mom, why IS love a battlefield?'"
— Amanda L. Baker
- "My 3-year-old asked for an iPad for her birthday."
— Chantal Panozzo
- "When my 5-year-old said, 'I'm going to be a lesbian and adopt babies. Having your own babies is too much work.'"
— Kathryn Howes
- "My 6-year-old lied to a police officer about his address because he didn't want to go to jail."
— Carrie Spanagel
- "When my 5-year-old daughter suggested I just say 'obvi' because 'when you say 'obviously' it makes the day so much longer.' I said, 'It's OK, I'm not in a rush.'"
— Rachel Blair Perrone
- "When my twins were 3 (they are 4 now), my daughter said she was too scared to sleep in her bed on her own because she was scared of the dark, and my son said to her, 'But the dark helps us find the light.' His comment actually slowed time down for me because I realized how quickly I make our moments move. When he said that, I knew I needed to slow things down and begin to really hear my kids."
— Danielle Starkey
- "My then-7-year-old (now 11) as we discussed her going to Hebrew School: 'I've thought it through. God is a fairy tale. I believe in science.' Umm, okaaayyy. Can we still light some candles on Shabbat though!?! Hilarious to me. Distressing for grandparents."
— Esther Potter
- "When my (then) 4-year-old daughter explained anaphylactic shock to the grocery store clerk and corrected his pronunciation of the word. When my 3-year-old son started contributing to family discussions with sentences starting with 'Actually … '"
— Sarah Miner
RELATED: Our Kids Are NOT Growing Up Too Fast
- "My daughter (3 and 3/4) is playing 'packing for pre-school.' Don't mind your old mother sobbing in the living room, just carry on filling your backpack with scotch tape, dental floss and porcelain cats."
— Leslie Kendall Dye
