My friend’s daughter, Luna, squatted in the driveway, her eyes tracking a ladybug. I loved the little rolls in Luna’s legs, the pudge in her cheeks, and the fascination she had with that bug. My friend and I stopped to watch Luna as she stretched her finger toward the ladybug. Before we could say anything, Luna petted the bug. And it didn’t crawl again. She lifted her chin in shocked silence as if to say, “Why not moving?” I bit my lip, trying not to laugh.
Oh, the toddler years! They feel long in the moment but truly fly by too fast. Seeing my friend’s daughter’s curiosity about the ladybug reminded me why I loved having a toddler. Yep, the toddler years sure aren’t easy at times, but there are 7 wonderful things I loved about having a toddler.
1. The Full-Body Hugs
They hug with their whole bodies. At what other age do people do that (or at what other age do we want people to do that, now that I think about it)? But those toddler hugs—goodness, they’re delicious. The way a toddler melts into your chest and you’re able to wrap your arms fully around him is one of the best feelings in the world. Your toddler shows his love with every inch of his body, exploding into you. And getting a sniff of his hair or experiencing his soft, spongy cheek against yours only adds to the sweetness.
2. The Delight in Little Things
Luna marveled at that ladybug. Forgetting about her mom behind her and the dog barking on the porch, she crouched down to examine one of God’s tiniest creatures. When was the last time your older child did that? Or you, for that matter? Luna had probably never seen a ladybug before. How many times do we take these little things for granted?
3. The Newness of Everything
When I took my son to the beach, I got to experience it for the first time again through his eyes. The fine grains of sand. The surprising largeness of the seagulls stalking our lunch. The chill of the water on our toes. The sound of my son’s belly laughs mixed with the roar of the ocean. Living in the moment with him made me cherish being with a 2-year-old. For toddlers, everything has a first time and is new. Being right there with my toddler as his eyes widened in surprise, as his fingertips unearthed a shell buried deep in sand, was a gift that still lives on in my memory years later.
4. The Conversations
Toddlers are so curious about their surroundings. My daughter, like many toddlers, liked to touch everything she passed from dog noses to fire hydrants. The resulting conversations were enjoyably entertaining. Sure, I’m conversing with a 2-year-old, but she’s starting to say more words, and she’s full of wonder. I found it fun pointing out numbers on license plates and counting the ducks at the dock. Maybe I did more of the talking, but seeing her point and utter new words like “duck!” made the toddler years priceless for me.
Toddlers are so curious about their surroundings. Click To Tweet5. The Shared Fun
Once my little buddy could walk, the world opened up for us. He was no longer a passive observer, but an active participant in the world. When he turned 18-months old, I joined a Meet-Up group at the aquarium. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever been to an aquarium, but after that visit, we became members and returned several times, sometimes with friends and sometimes with just each other. The point is, we both had fun. Having a toddler made me love being a mom even more.
6. The Travelability
When I realized I didn’t need to carry around as much stuff in a diaper bag, I knew my child and I had entered a new phase in our relationship. We downgraded from a monster stroller to an umbrella stroller. And she could walk! Or ride in the buggy behind my bike on trail rides! My husband and I became braver with traveling farther, knowing we didn’t have to be home for every nap or feeding. The toddler years made having a child more fun for our family because we felt more comfortable going places.
7. The Innocence
My son understood shapes and letters, but he had the beautiful innocence of a child. He absorbed information like a sponge, picking up so many new things every day from new words like “raisin” to new skills like climbing out of his crib or using a spoon. The toddler years are physically exhausting, chasing children down and picking them up. But mentally, they’re pretty easy. And a toddler’s innocence about the world beyond his windows keeps us a little more innocent for a while too. I loved being in that space with him while it lasted.
The days may feel long, and if they do, try praying with our 10 Ways to Pray for Your Toddler printable.
What do you love most about the toddler years?
