The fledge has started at our house, and I have mixed feelings about it. For now it is baby steps, but it is definitely happening. Last week I traded in my gas guzzling SUV because I no longer needed a giant car to transport kiddos. My oldest has been driving for almost 2 years now, and my youngest gets her license next week. The only passengers I have these days have 4 paws and no friends who also need a ride. I like my new, smaller ride. And best of all, I am getting 30miles/gallon.
As I write this post, I am sitting alone at home thinking how proud I am of my kiddos. They are both fiercely independent, which I am proud of. But there is a part of me that is sad that they no longer need me in the ways they used to. It doesn’t help that my work is pretty much non existent. I need to find my place in my new world where being a mom looks very different than it has for as long as I can remember. My mom really struggled with this change, and I do not want to be like her and try to smother my kids into hanging out with me.
Things I need to do:
- Figure out my place professionally. Is this with my current job or something new? I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason, but sooner rather than later would be better.
- Not take it personally that my teens will be spending a lot of time out of the house this summer. We were all cooped up in the house last summer during the pandemic. They need to be out with their friends, girl/boyfriends living life.
- Parent my new giant, furry, toddlers and figure out how to make them well behaved dogs.
- Embrace my hobbies. I need my post pandemic brain to be able to focus on them again.
So fellow moms who have done (or are starting) Parenting 2.0, any advice for me?