I had lunch with a friend today. Julie and I have been friends for almost 20 years. We’ve raised our kids together, homeschooled together, did a moms group together…we’ve lived life together for a long time. Now her three daughters are grown and mostly out of the home. While I still have three at home, mine are definitely more independent these days so Julie and I now meet for lunch at a restaurant each month.
Today we reminisced about the years we raised our kids together. We talked about how friendship is different when the kids are older. Not better, not worse, just different. And we both agreed that when a young mom has good friends that she lives life with, the preschool years of mothering are the Golden Years of Mothering.
Today we sat and talked for almost two hours. It was a great time of friendship. But we both agreed that we’d pay a million dollars to be able to go back to the early years where we would sit and visit for two hours while our children played dolls and legos and dress-ups in the next room. Life just doesn’t get any better than sitting and visiting with a friend while your children play at your feet.
Of course, if you are in that season of mothering you may not see it as the Golden Years. You see it as the “No sleep” years or the “changing diapers” years. Or if you’re not doing life with a community of mothers around you, your experience may be different because the friendship piece is missing. If that’s the case, find a MOPS group or a moms group in your community asap. Don’t wait! It’s worth the effort. Meet some other moms and then invite someone over for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Begin to do life together: fold laundry together, bake cookies together, solve the world’s problems together!
That kind of comraderie will give you memories that will last a lifetime and make the season of small children a most precious season of both friendship and family.
Jill, thank you for that post. I needed to hear that today as I celebrate the 9th birthday of my oldest son.
It is hard to believe that the preschool years are the Golden Age of Mothering, but as I am slowly leaving that season (my youngest will begin K this fall) I find myself agreeing with you. There will never be another time like the time when your children are little.
Treasure every day!
Blessings,
Marcia
Oh, Jill! This post brought tears to my eyes. I am in the THICK of these Golden Years. I have a 4yo, 2yo, and 11 week old (and don’t believe that my family is complete just yet). However, we just took my 4yo to his Kindergarten Registration Fair and I’m realizing that after almost 5 years of being with him all day almost every day, he’s going to be gone for a good portion of the day in just a few more months! Wow. I’m almost not ready to be done with his “Golden Years”, but I know life keeps marching on and I just have to be thankful for the great kid that he is and the wonderful time we’ve had!
Jill –
Thanks for this post. It is a good reminder to me to cherish the time of life I am in right now! I get sad already thinking of my oldest moving on to kindergarden in the fall – I hope I can make the most of her time at home!
It also made me so thankful for my bible study group. I am blessed with a close group of friends (all experiencing the “golden years”) to share motherhood and life with. I don’t know what I would do without them!
Thanks for some perspective!
Megan
I am not sure I can call the preschool years “golden age” but I will work on it. I just went to my “mom’s group” meeting today! so refreshing! I just wish I made more of an effort to meet with moms at other times too!!
Jill, thank you for your post. My oldest is in kindergarten (half-day) and my youngest is 3. There are days I cherish every moment and other days I have to remind myself not to wish the days away even when it seems rough.
Your reminder about having a moms group is a good one. We have a group who work or worked together with our preschool at our church. We have become close and are now starting a moms night out as of next week. (We formed our idea for our monthly outing on our drive back from Hearts at Home!) 🙂
Thanks for your encouraging words.
Joan
What a great reminder! I’m in the midst of the pre-school years now and while I’m too wrapped up in it to see it as the Golden Years I am trying to treasure these moments up in my heart because I know they’ll be grown before I know it!
I just got my home conference pack in the mail a few days ago! I’m so psyched to go through it with my accountability partner! We’re both nursing moms and couldn’t get away for the conference. But I’m hoping to make to one in the fall!
Jill, thanks for this great post. I always need some perspective: a good reminder to enjoy this special time with my almost 18 month old!
I love reading your blog!
Jennifer
Thanks for these beautiful words of encouragement! Sometimes these days seem so tiring, yet they are already going much too quickly & you reminded me again that I just have to make the most of them!
Thanks Jill, that was an encouragement to me as well. I currently have 4 boys under 4 (a 3.5 year old, a 2 year old, and 1 year old twins) and many days it doesn’t feel all that “golden”. But I still love every (well almost) minute of it and am grateful for the reminder to appreciate each moment, no matter how many poopy diapers I’ve changed that day.
Jill,
I am so happy to be in the golden years. My 3 year old boy said to me tonight when I asked for a kiss, “Mommy, I cannot give you a kiss. I love you so much. It is enough, my kiss would be wasted.” Guess I’ve been lecturing him too much about wasting liquid soap in the bathroom – ha.
Love,
Arlene