Last Updated on March 20, 2018

Editor’s note:  We are pleased to welcome a guest post by Gina Smith, familiar to some of you through her blog Chats With An “old lady”…may you be blessed through her today.

by Gina Smith

I have the privilege of being around quite a few mothers with small children. I remember a visit we had with a family who has five children, ages ranging from just a few months old, to 10 years old. The baby was happy watching all the activity. The 1-year-old ran around from one person to the other melting all our hearts. She especially liked my son and kept plopping down in his lap. The 2-year-old boy was constant movement, and I have a soft spot in my heart for him because he reminds me so much of my son at that age. Two-year-old boys have one way of talking: LOUD! The two older girls were such a help to their mom and have such sweet personalities. They brought me flowers, and we all ate ice cream cones on the front porch.  It was such fun.

I was impressed with what a great job the parents did keeping up with all those kids, but I must admit that when they left I was exhausted! It’s not that they are bad kids, or that the parents aren’t taking the time to train them, but there is so much that goes into caring for, teaching, and training little children. It’s a huge job; it is exhausting physically and emotionally.

The reality of being a parent of small children is that they are in the beginning stages of learning. That makes it a hard job. It is not always a perfect little picture. It is a process of teaching things over and over again: “Say thank you,” “Hold my hand,” “Wait for mommy.” “Don’t touch.” As I watched these parents go from one child to the other I was reminded of what a hard job it is. Whether you have one toddler or three, it is hard!

For those of us with older children, it’s easy to forget how challenging the season of having small children can be. Being a mom of teenagers has a whole new set of challenges, but I really don’t think that anything compares to being a mom of little children. It is wonderful and exhausting at the same time.

Let me encourage you moms of small children to hang in there. Seek God and rely on Him for the strength you need. Pray over each child regularly. Remember the impact you are having on these little ones, even when it seems you are doing the same things every day … God sees all the little things you are doing.

And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.Galatians 6:9

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 Comments

  1. Oh, how I needed to read this today. I have a 2 1/2 year old boy, and I am a stay-at-home mom. We had kind of a hard day. One of those "Is anything I am trying to teach him getting through?" moments. And I was frustrated. I took a break and checked my Google Reader, and this post was sitting there. God's timing, I am sure, had something to do with it. Thank you for your encouraging words and reminders to keep at it.

  2. Jennifer Dyer says:

    Gina,
    Thanks for encouraging us with your wisdom! Having youngsters is a tough but rewarding season of life.
    I'm so glad to see you on FamilyLifeMomBlog!
    Jennifer Dyer

  3. Gina, it always makes me cry when someone writes or talks to me about understanding the exhaustion and glory of raising small children. I get so tired and it's easy to forget the very things I would speak to another. Hearing it is like landing on a soft bed or even better getting a much needed hug. Thanks for the hug!
    Sheila