Hello DFMini! I’m Melissa Esplin from I Still Love You. I blog about everything I love including, but not limited to: calligraphy, sewing, home decor, DIYs and personal style.
It feels like overnight I became a mother to two precious little kiddos. I’m not that old, I keep telling myself. Being a mother has pushed me farther and to do more than I ever did before. I’m totally in love with my little messy motivators…
I had a really hard time adjusting to motherhood after I had Penelope. Not many of my friends or siblings had had kids at that point, so I didn’t have a whole lot of infant experience under my belt. I wasn’t used to being responsible fore anyone else’s messes beyond my own. I got so frustrated cleaning up the same messes over and over again.
When Penelope was five or six months old, a friend mentioned a new mantra that she would live by when it came to the dealing with messes that her 18 month old made:
If it engages her longer than it takes you to clean up, let her do it.
She had lived by that little rule for about a week at that point and told me how much better her relationship was with her little girl. I decided to give it a try, and it’s something that I still work on today. Of course this is within reason; I will never let my children play with knives or anything that would put them in harm’s way. For the little things like pots, clothes, toys and the miscellany that seems to collect in the house I say go ahead.
It was amazing how much of a difference just a slight perspective change made.
Congratulations on your baby bundle, Erin! I’ve had the joy of meeting you in person a few times, and I can say without a doubt you are already an amazing mom to your baby girl!