I don’t think anyone can ever be “ready” to raise kids. No matter how many books your read, blogs you view or any other ways you prepare, each kiddo has their own personality and most of the time they don’t fit into any description a book can give.
Even when you have two girls only 15 months apart, my kids are pretty different. My oldest daughter is a lot like me in some ways, but in others she is her own person. She is very thoughtful and likes to take her time and finish the task she is working on. Interrupting her typically means you’re going to get a reaction, especially if she has to stop and move on to something else before she is ready.
She is a little quirky, too. As she is getting older and going to school, I can see she is not completely focused on having a bunch of friends or caring what any of her friends think of what she is interested in.
As a mom, it makes my stomach churn hoping she is having fun at school, making friends and just being happy. She likes to talk more about what she is learning rather than what she does with her friends, which is great, just different than me. I also enjoyed school, especially in kindergarten but had some great friends, who still to this day, are friends I see regularly.
It has also been on my radar because following preschool, a lot of her friends moved schools, including her best friend or were placed in the other kindergarten class. I know friends are not the end all and be all of school, and in just her first year, it is a little early for me to wave any warning flags, but it is something I pay attention to.
My youngest, on the other hand, seems to fit in a more typical mold of a preschooler. She has revolving best friends with one girl popping up the most and has also taken an interest in some of the boys in her class.
Lately, she has been getting all dolled up and then commenting she thinks a certain boy will think she looks beautiful. Also, when the same boy plays with her that day in school, I always hear about it as soon as I get home.
I can relate a little more to her, as I was always crushing on different boys growing up. My friends and I rotated the boys in our class all through elementary school with many funny stories to tell about our early love lives.
It is always running through my mind who my kids will become. What will they be interested in, sports, arts, other? Will they stay close to home or want to venture out into the world? I know it is really early to worry about such things but worrying is in my nature.
Being a mom is by far the greatest task I have taken on, and I am forever learning as I go. I am mom to both girls but each kiddo gets their own version of me to best suit their personalities. I can’t wait to watch them grow and see what they do and where they go and do my best to help them along the way.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at
jpierson@newtondailynews.com