Don’t wish it away
Don’t look at it like it’s forever

– I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John

I’m at the sort of middle stage of having children. By the end of this year, my eldest will be old enough to drink, drive and vote (preferably not all at once) and will have finished school while my youngest will be embarking on his high school years and I will have three teenagers in the house.

But while my body and my family clearly indicate that I am well on my way to a half century of life, in my head I’m still in my 20’s and so I have a habit of hanging around with like-minded people.

That means I’m hanging out with those yet to begin any sort of parenting journey and those in the early stages.

Am I ever tempted to say, “Let me tell you….” and dispense my carefully-gathered-over-the-years parenting advice? You bet.

But if recent events (see my previous post) have taught me anything it is that every stage of parenting is hard and every stage is easy (but only in hindsight). And none of us really knows what we’re doing.

When your children are tiny, it’s all about sleep and self-identity. When they are toddlers, it’s about safety and having enough eyes in your head. When they get to school, it’s about friendships (or the lack thereof) and peer pressure. When they’re teenagers, it’s about drugs, alcohol and employment. That’s as far as I’ve got but I’ve no doubt the next stage will have its own challenges and I will think wistfully of the days when my greatest worry was whether they were crying because they had wind or a nappy pin sticking into them.

But as the great Reggie has said, it’s important not to wish it away because it’s hard. It won’t last forever and you will miss it once it’s gone.

Live for each second
Without hesitation

– I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John