An Emotional Mammy

My little girl started Primary School last week. As much as I knew she'd be fine (she's been counting down the months, weeks and days since she finished preschool), I wasn't. I felt like we were sending her out in to the big bad world. We'd done so well to keep her safe for the past 4 years and 7 months (how on earth is it that long ago since she was a teeny-tiny baby?!) and not "break" her.

 
Now she's entering a world of big kids in a big school and it feels too soon for my baby to have grown into this young girl. Once she steps into the education system, it will be one big fast roller-coaster ride that will inevitably lead to her heading off to make her own way in the world.

Am I overreacting? Probably. But I'm not ready to let go of my baby yet; the innocence, the harmless mischief, the magic of Mammy and Daddy's kisses making everything better, the cuddles that last forever...

Don't get me wrong, I do encourage her autonomy and independence and I know she needs space to grow and develop relationships outside of our small circle. I celebrate every milestone and am so proud of the little person she has become. It's just the speed with which this is all happening that gets me.

I can't slow down time, so I try to take some time each day to just be present and make happy memories for us.

For this particular, quite enormous, milestone I've made a quilt. A keepsake quilt from her baby clothes that I didn't use for her first little blanket. A large quilt that we can wrap ourselves in when we've had a tough day and remember back to when it was as easy as Mammy or Daddy kissing better any hurt. A quilt filled with memories of a simpler time. The quilt that will live in our home long after our little girl has grown into a young woman and flown the nest to build a life of her own.

  

I'd love to hear your stories. How do you cope with the big changes and milestones in your children's life?

Melissa xx