Once I had Scarlett (my second child), it hit me!! I realized that these tiny little humans are the biggest teachers of my life. No amount of schooling, life lived, or books read could have prepared me for what they teach me every single day.

By far the biggest lesson of life that they’ve taught me was to slow down. The lesson of slowing down was a hard one to learn because for me it meant lots of frustrating moments, dealing with my impatience, and unwillingness to change until I was forced to.

Kids do that to you. They push you so far to the edge of your emotions that you are forced to give in. Give in to their silliness, their cries, their laughter, their emotions. They lean into what they are feeling with every fibre of their being. They give their all to the task at hand and never hold back. They have the amazing ability to be fully present in the moment unlike adults that are always rushing to the next best thing in the age of distraction. From the moment I had my firstborn, both my children have given me the best motivation to slow down and breathe, taking in each moment as they come. They’ve taught me to find magic moments in every second of the day.The more children you have, the more you’re forced to slow down. I’m naturally a pretty impatient person so this has been difficult for me to adjust to, but I completely gave in after a while because with kids, the more anxious you feel the harder your days are and your kids start to feel it too. There are certain things I’ve implemented into my life that have helped me embrace the chaos and move at their pace that I thought I’d share.

• Get outside everyday with both of them. Every day we go to the park. Yes, we have a smallish backyard, but it’s not the same as being in nature and around other kids. Right after Scarlett was born I got the Contours Options Elite Tandem Stroller and it’s made traveling with both of them 10x easier. It can take two infant carseats, has multiple seating options, folds up super easy, has an amazing suspension that Doug noticed right away, and is perfect for our girls! I can’t wait until Scarlett is old enough to fit in the toddler seat so they can face each other on walks! I’ve had a few other strollers prior to this and this one is definitely one of the best quality ones we own. It’s sturdy and you can just tell it is made with the best design in mind. The sun visors are a must in sunny SoCal as well!
• Lower my expectations. This sounds depressing, but I promise it’s so freeing. I used to have a huge to do list and when I’d finish only one thing between watching them for the entire day, I felt defeated. They quickly taught me that my time with them is the most important priority so it’s okay if the laundry piles up or a home cooked meal doesn’t get prepared every single night.
• Plan activities to pass the time. The ‘Days With Grey’ blog has saved me! Her activities have helped me understand how and why my children do things at their pace.Being an intentional parent. Educating myself on childhood development has not only helped improve my daughter’s mind, but my own as well. Rather than being frustrated at why she reacted to certain situations, I now understand why and what I can do to help her through her emotions. (This Instagram account is amazing for this!)All in all, slowing down my life has made me a more mindful person. Although some days I still want to pull my hair out because my toddler insists on buttoning up her coat (this simple task may take 20 minutes!), I remind myself that the days are fleeting and to lean into this time in my life. P.S. I’m currently writing this post, while baby wearing, with grains of rice stuck to my feet after my toddler spilled a bag all over the floor:D Life is fun! ha. What has been the biggest lesson children have brought to your life? I’d love to hear!*A big thank you to Contours for sponsoring this post!