I had quite a profound parenting moment the other day. One of those rare moments where you actually gain clarity on an issue and begin to make sense of where you are headed on this whole parenting journey. I’ll save that whole story for another day, but it got me wondering: some things are just inevitable as parents right?

There are some things I’ve come to accept as a mom to three little humans. Here they are:

1. There will be noise. And a lot of it. So much in fact that those rare moments of silence make me feel slightly uncomfortable! I miss the sanity of a clam, quiet home, but I have come to accept that a noisy home very often means a happy one.

2. There will be fighting. Yup, as much as we try to teach our children to be kind to one another and to get along, there will always be a degree of conflict between the three of them. Sibling rivalry is only natural. Of course, it’ s how we teach our children to make up after fight and resolve their conflicts that really matters.

3. There will be times (daily) where I can’t see to every child’s needs, whether emotional, physical or otherwise. I only have two hands and one mouth and it’s physically impossible to be everything to everyone, 24/7.

4. There will be endless trips to the kitchen to make snacks and prepare food, because they are starving and might die of hunger!! And yes that means that there will be excessive grocery bills every month as we throw money down their throats and watch them poop it out. Acceptance can be a bitch yes.

5. There will be adventure and silly fun, which will often require some good planning. Spontaneity is something I’ve had to let go of because most outings, holidays and day trips involve a 8 step execution plan.

6. There will be sleepless nights and early mornings.(By far the the hardest to accept of all.) And there will be countless nights where all three will find their way into my bed. (The latter I don’t mind as much!)

7. Carrying on from point 6, there will be lots of coffee. And if not coffee there will be wine. If all else fails, there will be chocolate.

8. There will be fights over clothing and getting dressed in the morning. If my boys are anything to go by, I can only imagine the drama that will ensue when my daughter is 3. God give me/us all strength.

9. There will be frustration over having to repeat myself a million times. Like a stuck record, I will feel my patience stretched thin and my sanity stretched thinner. I will follow suit and repeat myself too with the constant questioning ‘How many times do I have to tell you?”

10. There will be tears – of both joy an sadness. Joy as I witness them grow and twinges of sadness as I realise this is the inevitable.

11. There will be moments where I will make mistakes and fail them and wonder if how I’m raising them is doing more damage than good. Nights where I will lie awake thinking of how I could have done things differently and how I wished I had been more gentle.

12. There will be many times where they don’t get it right. They will make mistakes, giving me the opportunity to exercise wisdom and rely on God’s grace.

13. There will be fewer date nights, less freedom and much less money.

14. There will be birthday parties. So many parties! For both my own kids and their friends! Parties will take up at least 40% of our weekends for the foreseeable future.

15.  There will be more love and joy and happiness in my life than I ever thought possible. There will be at lest a dozen moments in a day that will have me choose them over and over again. Moments that will make my heart swell with pride and know that there is not a single thing I would change about my life right now. That everything is just as it should be.

What are some of the things you’ve learned to accept as a parent? Please tell me 🙂 ♥

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!