On Being a Mom of Many

Being a Mom of 6 has taught me a lot over the years. For example, I no longer freak out if the floor is a little cluttered, or if someone forgot to do their homework and is up a little past their bedtime to get it done. There are some things that only Moms with 3 plus kids understand.

Being thrifty is one of those things. It just isn't practical to buy expensive clothes for kids, especially when you know that those clothes are going to be covered in mud the first rainy day of spring. Some things are inevitably going to be costly, though. Shoes are one of my biggest expenses, simply because I know that good shoes will last twice as long as cheap ones.

I am also a lot more patient than I used to be. My two littlest ones, 3 and 4 months, are seeing the rewards of having an older, more relaxed Mommy. My older kids were the ones who had to put up with a Mom who wanted a spotless house and a Mom who had less time for play because of it. Now, I am lucky to get through one or two room a day because I would rather cuddle and watch cartoons than clean something. Having babies in the house is a blessing that I know won't last nearly long enough for me.

The poem that says I'm rocking my babies, because babies don't keep is so true. You will especially feel this way once your oldest is just a few years from moving out, with the rest quickly following. Even as a Mom with 6 kids in the house, I am not looking forward to the day when I wake up and find that all my chicks have flown the nest and it is just me and their Dad left at home.

I might be glad that I don't have to work full time to feed and care for the little ones, but I will miss all the action. I am trying to convince my daughters that it is a rule that you must move home once you have a child. So far, I am having no luck. :) Too bad they are too smart for my trickery.

My husband and I often wonder what we will do with our time when, in the next years, the four oldest are gone. I would like to think that visits will be frequent, but as a person with too much on my plate I know that life often gets in the way of seeing those that mean the most to us. I work, take care of my family, and go to school. I rarely have time, or the energy, to make it a priority to visit family and friends. That is life when you have kids, and it is worth all of the energy and effort it takes.

Moms of many are blessed to have their family, but so are all Moms no matter what their family size. Each child is a unique person, with their own endearing qualities, even if those qualities are something that only a Mom can love. :)