What It Means to be a Parent Through a Child’s Eyes

My hope was to blog something poignant and profound this Mother’s Day…but as it came and went, I was so glad I waited, because I had the opportunity to listen to my 9-year-old describe her plans for motherhood. which ultimately became my post for this week.

As we were driving home from running errands, she suddenly blurted out from the back seat, “Mom, guess what?  I’m going to get married at 28 and have children when I’m 30.”  I was naturally intrigued, so I asked her to expand on her rationale and why that specific timeline?  She answered, “Because I’m going to graduate from college with my bachelor’s degree, then I’ll get my masters.  After that, I’m going to get 2 PhD’s.  By the time I’m done with everything, I’ll be 28.”  As I processed what she was saying, I realized that her dad probably helped her with the math.  She continued on, “When I’m 28, then I’ll get married.  When I’m 30, I’ll have children.”

It was incredible how she had it all mapped out.  She then stated, “I’ll have 2 children, not just 1.”  She explained that because she’s an only child, she would not want her child to grow up alone, so she would make sure her child had a sibling to grow up with.  I smiled at that comment and felt a tiny bit of guilt…but soon that feeling passed because I know there’s a part of Maya that secretly enjoys getting all the attention!

I then asked her what kind of mother would she be.  She said she would be kind to her children and also fun.  Those were the qualities that resonated with her.  Kind and fun.  Such simple qualities, yet they spoke volumes.  In the past, when I’ve ask her to describe us in one word, she says that I’m “nice” and her dad is “fun”.  So I guess she would be a mix of the both of us.

I think about my own parents and how I would have described them at 9 years old.  I probably would have said my mom was “smart” and my dad was “funny”.  And even though my mom is also funny and my dad is smart, those are the traits that most stuck in my mind when I think about them and how it was growing up.

Fast forward, a zillion years later, I look at my amazing, confident little girl and I’m excited about what the future holds for her and the kind of mother she will be.  It’s incredible how children do not see barriers when they think about all the things they’ll accomplish in their lives.  They just envision amazing achievements.  Their mind is focused solely on the ‘end goal’ and they are not preoccupied with obstacles or self-doubt.  We can learn so much from our children if we simply listen to what some might perceive as simple thoughts.  But in reality, they are wise beyond their years.

Thanks for tuning in and wish all moms out there a Happy Belated Mother’s Day!