On May 7th, a month from today, I will be the mother of a 3 year old.  I have no idea how this is happening.  Last year, a month before she turned 2, I seemed to have a pretty good grasp of life and what was going on, now, it’s almost like I’m a new mom again.

Age 3 is no joke.

I’m not trying to scare anybody, I’m just keeping it real. Folks tried to warn me.  Seasoned mothers tweeted, “Just wait until 3” when I tried to share my toddler mama struggles online.  Co-workers warned, “Oh, you ain’t seen nothing, yet. Wait until she turns 3” when I tried to cry on their shoulders. 

They tried to tell me. And now, I get it.  One month shy of 3 years old, and I get it. At around 3 years old, children are able to articulate their thoughts, have a good grasp of their body (hello, potty trained!), and are starting to apply logic to situations.  Basically, they think they know it all. I thought I had a few years before this became an issue.

It’s definitely a challenge to have struggles where things used to be smooth sailing. Battling over what is appropriate and inappropriate clothing to wear (I finally just let her go ahead and sleep in her bathing suit), keeping up with the weekly change in eating habits, and trying to get used to hearing “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom” seventy five to eighty five thousand times a day…it can be exhausting.

But then, my almost 3 year old tells me a funny joke that only a mother would get, or tells me she loves me because I’m her best friend, or busts out a dance that makes me laugh and laugh and laugh…and I can’t wait until 3.