‘I just wanted to hose down the kids and take a nap in the laundry pile. ‘You’ll miss the days you’re having,’ a stranger said to me, smiling. I wanted to freeze time.’: Mom reminds caregivers there’s ‘more good days than bad’ 

“There are days when I feel completely wiped.

I notice more wrinkles and gray hair.

There are days when I can barely fit into my jeans because my gym time has been sabotaged by my kids’ activities.

There are days when my children run wild and they don’t seem to care what I say or do.

I buy $200 of groceries for the week and then we run out of milk.

The kids cry, fight, and make demands. The toilet clogs again.

There are days when there are more dirty dishes than clean dishes.

There are days when I want to take a nap in the laundry pile, and when I just want to hose the children down out back.

There are days when they wake up at 5 a.m. and refuse to sleep. Then when they do finally conk out, I am stuck cleaning up army men and play-dough.

And then there are the days when everyone is at peace.

There are days when no one wants to get ready because they’d rather read stories and color me pictures.

There are the days when the snuggles and kisses overwhelm my heart and I want to freeze time.

There are days that strangers smile at me and tell me they miss the days I’m having.

There are the days when the bedtime routine takes longer because I spend time smelling their hair, rubbing their backs, and listening to their stories.

I go to bed late because I can’t leave their room and because I choose to lie on their floor listening to them breathe and soaking in their innocence.

There are mornings when I wake up to the sound of giggling and laughing.

There are days when I see my whole world in their eyes.

There are days when it hits me that they are mine. That I created life and that I am a driving force in their future.

These are the days that I realize that dirty dishes mean my kids are fed and dirty hands mean my kids are active.

These are the days that I am incredibly grateful that I get to be their Mom.

So to all the moms, dads, and caregivers having a bad day – know the good times are coming.

And there are many more good days than bad.

Being a good parent can be tough, but the wet kisses make up for it.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Andrea P. Smolin of Virginia Beach, Virginia. You can follow her journey on Facebook and Twitter. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.

Read more from Andrea:

‘I have a dirty little secret. We all had it. It started out innocently enough. It was the worst 3 weeks of my life and I don’t wish this torture on my worst enemy.’

‘When I met my husband, I thought I had found love so raw, so deep, and so genuine that I would never fall in love again. I was wrong.’

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