A mother has sparked a debate after she urged others to stop saying ‘enjoy every moment’ with their children.
Hannah Findlay from New Zealand took to Instagram and wrote a lengthy message for other parents.
In her post, the mother-of-two wrote: “Every time I leave the house at the moment I know it’s coming. The moment I inevitably lock eyes with someone (a random, usually well-meaning woman) who will utter the following in some form; ‘Enjoy them while they’re little, it goes so fast!’”
Findlay said that every time someone tells her that, a little part of her dies.
“I just don’t have the heart to turn around and tell her that of course, I enjoy my little babies. They are my life. My heartbeat. My reason. My never-ending, all-encompassing love story… AND. I’m tired,” she continued.
She also said that she doesn’t need to be told to enjoy the moment as “I literally put my body on the line to make this dream of mine come true, there is no one more grateful than me for these kids.”
Findlay then shared what she needs: “A soft rub on the shoulder and tell me I’m doing a good job,” adding that she doesn’t get that.
“Can we universally erase this phrase now?” she pleaded. “We get it. You’ve forgotten all the hard stuff and you miss the softness and smallness of your young kids now yours are grown… but we’re still in it.”
She then asked others if ‘enjoy every moment’ could be replaced with a shoulder rub or a reminder that new parents are doing a good job.
“That’s something I would not get sick of hearing,” she expressed. “That’s something I need to hear more of. That’s something I need to remind myself of everyday.”
Many people agreed with her post, with one person writing: “I couldn’t agree more! And I’m totally going to remember. Even now I do with friends who have kids younger than me. None of the ‘just wait until…..,’ they are in a hard phase now, as am I, just a different hard phase x.”
Another said: “Thank you for sharing this! Couldn’t agree more with this… the amount of guilt I get when I hear that statement too … thank you for your honesty.”
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