The second thing I’ve learned during these 4 years came as a huge relief because I wasn’t quite sure it would happen. But it finally did.
(Read more about the first thing I learned during 4 years as a stay-at-home mom.)
2. Outings get easier with practice.
This may sound crazy (and it was), but I expected myself to immediately be a pro at taking my kids on outings. Everyone else seemed to be doing great at it. Why not me?
Well, not me. I wanted to do the outings, and yet I had so much trouble enjoying them until they were over. The prep overwhelmed me. And I was so anxious the whole outing because I wanted it to go so well and had 1 million thoughts running through my head the whole time.
Now that I’ve done it for a little bit with 1 child and now with 2, I’ve finally found that it HAS gotten easier!! Let me temper your expectations that it took much more time to get here than I anticipated. I’ve practiced, practiced, and practiced some more.
Prep that used to take an hour the night before can now be done in 10 minutes the morning of. I’m more aware of what my kids need during the outings, and I’m more confident in my abilities – which have also grown through the years. It’s not just your kids who grow. You grow too!
I’m also more confident and have stronger abilities in those moments when outings aren’t going well.
My kids getting a little older has helped me too. Although (and this part may be worth reading twice) I’m also realizing that each new stage brings new things I need to practice at to get good at. It’s not a one-and-done. You don’t get good at outings once and then have smooth sailing forever.
Each new stage for each child brings new elements to learn and practice both for me and for each of my kids.
This is so important for me to remember. When one of my kids enters a new season, I need to learn new things, AND there are new elements for my other child to learn as well.
This doesn’t automatically mean it gets hard again. It just means I need to be extra mindful and intentional explaining boundaries, keeping tabs on everyone, etc., until we get in a rhythm again. Having that expectation helps all of us have an enjoyable outing.
So, if you’re in a season where you’re stressed during outings, I’ve been there too. Even now, there are some outings I haven’t done yet by myself with the kids because I’m not ready. Not all outings are created equally. Keep at it. You’re learning each time, and you’ll be better at it the next time!
