I get emails often from moms of babies and toddlers asking for help just to survive this season. (Almost as many as I get from moms of teenagers !) I always wish I had a better answer for them. It’d be so nice if there were some trick that stopped a two year old’s defiance or magic words we could say that would give us the energy to read one more book at bedtime and then go clean the kitchen.

The thing is mommas - there are no tricks or magic words for surviving the younger years. Parenting young ones is exhausting. It’s constant. If it feels hard, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong, it’s because it is really hard! With three of my young grandchildren living with me right now, I have been reminded all over again just how constant it is from sunup to sundown. And you also have to be “on” throughout the night as well! It is incredibly rewarding, but in the younger years, it is constant and it is exhausting. One thing I tell all the moms is this - buckle up! Parenting is a wild and ever-changing ride. Honestly, there’s not really a point where you figure it all out and it gets easy. Because just when you figure one thing out, something new develops and off you go again. I think when you change your mindset and accept that this very difficult job, and some seasons you just have to fasten your seatbelt and make it through - well then I think it’s easier to survive those tiring younger years.

Buckle up, hold on tight, and don’t forget to ask God for help. And remember BOAW is here for you!