With mother’s day rapidly approaching, I’m realizing that this is my THIRD mother’s day as a mother… wow. I can’t believe that my son is rapidly approaching 3 years old, and I can’t believe that I’ve been a mom for this long. It seems equally longer and shorter than I realized, and I still can’t believe how much Zach has grown in that amount of time… and furthermore, how much I have grown! In the past few years, I’ve learned a LOT about motherhood, some things I expected, and some things I didn’t. Here are a few things I’ve learned…

1. I will end up saying phrases I never expected to say, like “Zach, don’t sniff the dog’s butt.”
2. Kids pretty much have their own way of doing things, which means sometimes boots go on BEFORE pants do. Just because it isn’t how I would do it, doesn’t make it a wrong method.
3. Forget anything you know about being tidy. Even a neat person eventually has to come to terms with the fact that after the 5th time you’ve picked up that toy in the middle of the kitchen floor that day, sometimes it’s best to just let things stay until it’s bedtime.
4. Baths aren’t just for getting clean. Baths are for splashing, for playing, for blowing bubbles, and for singing. Baths are so much more than just a clean habit.
5. It’s pretty much a crime to leave a puddle un-jumped, a nail unpainted, or a park un-explored.
6. The best things in life are simple and unexpected… like a quick lick on the cheek and a loud bark to wake you up in the morning… (nope, not talking about the dog. Talking about my sweet baby boy).
7. Time together is more important than anything else. Some of the best time that Zach and I have spent together was on mommy-son date nights where we share pizza and enjoy a movie together. It’s just a nice time to get out of the house and break up the monotony of the every day.
8. Kids observe everything. Sometimes it’s a very cool thing, like when Zach mimics the whole process of baking and serving food to someone during his imaginary play. Sometimes, it’s not a good thing, like when your son tells the dog “Ugh, shut up, Echo!” because he’s scratching at the door… again.
9. Good luck getting your kid to eat green beans. All of that malarky about a kid needing to try a food 40 times before learning to like it is silly. Either sneak those greens in where you can, or resign yourself to the fact that if they spit it out the first 15 times, they’re probably not a fan or will decide they are a fan on their own agenda, not yours.
10. Speaking of, kids kind of do things on their own agenda anyway. You can push them towards a certain goal, but if they’re not ready, they’re not ready. It’ll happen in it’s own time.
11. Oh, and after about the 3rd shared drink, you just come to the conclusion that backwash is really just adding flavor to the drink, right?
12. It’s really REALLY hard to keep things “out of reach of children.” Eventually those little suckers learn to climb. Or at least get big enough to carry a step stool around the house, and then you’re pretty much doomed. Child locks are a life-saver (until your child starts to figure out how to open them… remember, observation).
13. Never make your Amazon In-App purchasing PIN the same as your Debit PIN. Despite the obvious security risks that are present anyway, if you let your child help you key your PIN at the store, they will eventually figure out it’s the same and attempt to buy the big $1,000 package of App Coins and a Big Screen TV. Definitely always keep PINs separate. Oh, and change your parental controls PIN often, because all it takes is one time of him seeing over your shoulder without you realizing it for random charges to start showing up on your bank statement. Because, yes, observation.
14. Eventually, you’ll find yourself cheering every time someone goes potty. You think you’ll be able to contain it just to your child’s bathroom successes, but no. No, you won’t. Because I promise there will be a time when you’ll be at a restaurant positioned near the restrooms, your child will see someone come out of the restroom, and go “WooHOO! He pooped! Mommy, clap!” and you’ll do it like it’s second nature before realizing what you’ve done.
15. Being a mom can be incredibly overwhelming at times, and, even as a non-drinker, sometimes you get to the evening hours and thing, “Ugh. I need a stiff drink just to get through the last of the day!”
16. But then you realize how every single moment, even the ones where your child is standing naked on top of the piano saying “I’m gonna jump!!!” are worth every precious bit, because each smile, each kiss, each “Love you!” and each sleepy hug make up for even the most crazy moments.

What have you learned from motherhood? If you’re not a mom, what are some ways you taught your mom about motherhood? Let me know in the comments below!