Oh, my goodness! My eldest will be nine tomorrow! 9! N-I-N-E! What does growing into nine mean?
One year before I have a decade-old kid!
A couple of years before I have a tween in my hands.
Soon, there’ll be a teen living under our roof.
What?!? It’s so overwhelming!
Aside from the obvious increase in the difficulty of her school lessons, I am prepping myself for puberty and developmental milestones at age nine.
Right now, I have noticed that Ella is indeed growing up.
- I see glimpses of the tween and teenager stage of stubbornness and mood swings.
- Defiance and ‘no’ come out automatically from her these days. Sometimes, she’s easily annoyed at her siblings.
- I am not as “perfect” in her eyes anymore as I was during her toddler years. She calls me a grandma when I forget something. Glad I still have two little ones who think I am great. 🙂
- She doesn’t find my corny jokes funny. Huhu! But, she laughs at and even makes punny quips.
- The kids could carry a conversation or play a game, spearheaded by Ella, without my initiation.
- She has a solid idea what she wants to be when she grows up. She also believes that she could contribute to causes close to her heart as early as now.
Having a nine-year-old makes me anxious and nervous. I wish I could freeze her and the two little ones in time.
“No one tells you that the hardest part of motherhood is when your kids grow up.”
– thestatenislandfamily.com
I agree wholeheartedly.
Growing up, becoming more independent, doesn’t mean that Ella needs me less, though. She needs someone to listen to her speak. About her dreams and her nightmares, her hopes and her fears. Sure, she could do most of the everyday things by herself, but she needs someone to let her feel that she’s still being taken care of. Even if she knows right from wrong, someone still needs to teach and guide her in being kind, compassionate and tactful.
That someone are her father and me.
Raising children is very challenging. We need the fruits of the Spirit from the Lord.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Also, we need to, at the same time, let their personality sparkle and shine!
Dear parents, in your experience, what stage or age is the most daunting in your parenting journey?
