As all parents know, your children's milestones are an amazing and exciting thing. But if you've experienced certain milestones, you'll know that there are some milestones your kid is ready for, but you definitely aren't. Milestones such as moving to a big-kid bed, getting rid of diapers (the accidents, oh, the accidents), and more can be a little fraught with anxiety. For some parents, it's the adorable little quirks that we miss the most — like how they mispronounce words or when they no longer need you to come fight the monsters hiding in their closets at night.
Hopefully, all kids hit these milestones and more one day, but when it happens when you least expect it, it can be quite shocking and throw you for a loop. Thankfully, my child will be sleeping in his crib until he goes to college, so I won't have to worry about him escaping his room and destroying the house. Obviously that's going to happen. Right? Right?
Just remember, as stressful as these milestones can be for you, they mean the world to your kid. And almost all neurotypical children go through the same ones before they head off to elementary school. You're not alone. But it's totally OK to shed a tear when your child decides they no longer want snuggles or to be rocked at night — no matter how much sleep you're getting now — or if they suddenly start pronouncing words correctly. It can even be an emotional moment the first time they poop on the floor sans diaper — though you may be shedding a tear for a different reason.
10
Their Language Development
"I miss the toddler language sprinkled with incorrect grammar, Ws for Rs, and all verbs — irregular or not — conjugated with 'ed' at the end. My daughter would say, 'I wunned outside' a lot," Frankie says. "My oldest has started saying phrases that make her sound more like a 13-year-old and make me miss her wide-eyed toddler years. We still have two under the age of 4, but it won’t be long before they outgrow this stage, too."
Rebecca agrees. "It breaks my heart when they start saying words correctly. My son called grasshoppers 'grasspoppers,' and I couldn’t bring myself to correct him. My daughter called my best friend 'Mrs. Embily' forever. Now with speech, she started calling her 'Mrs. Emily.' I know it’s a natural progression, but it’s still a punch in your mama heart when it happens."
11
Loss Of Middle-of-the-Night Comforting
And some moms apparently even miss getting up in the middle of the night with their babies! Well, the intimacy and super-hero feelings at least. Mary tells Romper, "Towards the end of my pregnancy with my son, my husband took over getting up when my daughter cried at night, and I missed going to get her when she cried. I missed those intimate moments where I could vanquish all the monsters and make her feel safe to go back to sleep. As she's stopped waking in the middle of the night, I really miss that time when I could just hold her in the night."
12
Transitioning To A Big-Kid Bed
For me, personally, I'm so not ready for this. Though my 2.5-year-old has started trying to escape, I know the end is near for his crib. We follow Montessori for the most part — which requires children to use a floor bed at 18 months old — but that floor bed is the one thing we just won't compromise on.
Our son was and still kind of is a bad sleeper, and I know once he can have free rein of the house at all times, he will never sleep again, and our house will be destroyed.
13
No Longer Using Bottles
Though during the time, it can seem daunting and time consuming, some moms definitely miss this stage and they weren't prepared for it to be over. "My little one is now 2.5, but I miss the bottle phase so much," says Katie. "I thought that I would be celebrating being done with washing all of those parts, but nothing compares to the intimate silence of a baby with a bottle. Those silent moments are very rare in toddlerhood."
14
Mobility
Shutterstock
"My last son walked at 9 months old and I most certainly was not ready to have him mobile —especially as the third child," says Jennie. "But once he got the hang of it, there was no stopping him."
15
Losing The Pacifier/Thumb
"For me, it hit me so randomly. My daughter had her pacifier longer than they recommend, but she is my last baby, and to me it just signified her not being a baby anymore," says Rebecca.
16
Potty Training
And while diapers can be gross and expensive, there is just something daunting about your baby's transition to using an actual toilet. It seems like freedom — no more changing table! — but it also means constantly asking a toddler, "Do you have to pee? Do you now? What about now?" and prepping for the inevitable accidents. Even when they're ready to ditch the diapers, it's a little, "Please, not right now" for parents.