I learned something this week.

Something painful but also something I’m very thankful for.

I am in the easiest stage of parenting ever and it doesn’t get easier from here on. And yes, I have a three year old and a 19 month old. But I still consider this the easiest phase ever and here’s why:

• I know where my children are every single night.
• I control where my children are, who they hang out with, and what they do every single day.
• I am their best friend, number one, and their all time favorite.

They are asleep by 7:30pm every night, in their beds (or mine) by midnight (so I know WHERE they are) and I control who influences them and where they go.

Sounds like a helicopter parent? Nope. Just a parent of little ones who knows their every move.

And This is Why It’s Easy

This is why THIS STAGE of parenting is so dang easy. Tantrums, fits, meltdowns, overtired children, cranky, fussy, teething babies/toddlers, and a strong headed child are easy to handle. Sure, it’s exhausting. Even frustrating and makes you want to pull your hair out BUT it’s manageable, controllable, and doable.

You know what’s difficult?

Not knowing where your child is at night. Or when your child is coming home. Or who your child is hanging out with, influenced by, or doing RIGHT now. Because right now I know that both of my kids are asleep. I know where they are. I’m aware.

Your Worries are Nothing

So I’m here to tell you that this stage of parenting is a piece of pie. This past week my brother lost his best friend in a car accident (16 year old kid!). You know who’s grieving like crap? The parents of this dead child. And my parents have to figure out how to handle a grieving child, as well as many other parents whose kids were affected by this horrible tragedy. I just have to figure out how to stop my toddler from saying “no” to everything I tell him.

I don’t have to deal with little friends I don’t like or approve of. Or I don’t have to deal with relationships, hearts broken, the anxiety of my teenager behind the wheel for the first time (or ever single time). The only anxious thought I have is “will they sleep through the night tonight?”

Right now everything about parenting is teaching, disciplining, and explaining. Once they grow up even more and become more independent, it changes to trusting, letting go, praying God to rest your anxious heart and watch their every single move. I’m not ready for that.

I shouldn’t have to be. Life will teach me and I’m sure some things I’ll learn along the way.

But I know I can’t do that until I do this season of life.

I love that I’m their favorite. Their favorite hello and hardest goodbye. Honestly, it will break my heart to leave this season of raising little ones. So forget the childhood messes, and enjoy the young years more.

This is the BEST Season

This is easy. And every single day I whisper under my breath, “I don’t want to ever forget these precious little moments.” 

So this is for you anxious mama struggling with a strong willed child, or a baby who just won’t sleep more than 45 minutes at a time, or dealing with a defiant child. These years are easy. Look in their eyes, hug them longer, kiss them more, and be thankful YOU are their forever favorite.

Because these little, easy years won’t last forever. Someday you too will have to let go and trust your baby is making a good decision. Also there will be many disappointments and heartbreaks, something you’ll have to deal with then as well. But right now, you have a little one(s) in need of your attention and everything else can wait.

Soon you’ll have big kids, big problems. Right now it’s little kids; little problems you can handle.

And I know it won’t last forever–honestly I wish it really would.