Accepting the Wild {Nothing Slows My 5 Year Old Down}

My 5 year old is one of those kids that you truly don’t know how they do not have a broken limb at all times.

He is constantly scaling the back of the couch, managing to go down a slide in the most unsafe way possible, or literally scaling the walls to get on the window ledge at a doctor’s appointment. Besides being a daredevil, he chooses not to listen to a word I’m saying. I am pushed to my parenting limits daily before 9am most days and wonder how am I failing as a parent because my kid just won’t listen to me!

So when it comes to leaving the house to do things as a family, I seem to turn down invitations more often than not. It’s not that I don’t want to go on a play date or grab some lunch, it’s just so completely unenjoyable that I choose to not have the innocent bystanders hear me constantly correct my child.

I repeatedly tell myself that this is only temporary and life won’t be like this forever. And it’s truly shocking when his teachers tell me that he is great in class and a great listener. What? Really? While I’m beyond thrilled he is thriving at school and doing great behavior wise, I can’t help but to be a bit skeptical considering I have the complete opposite child at home.

Anyone else in a similar situation?

I love my wild, crazy and fun guy, but most days I’m exhausted by the amount of energy he has, and I’m out of breath by screaming “stop!” and “slow down!” or “please listen to me!”

Despite the gray hair he is giving me, I love my little guy to the moon and back. I just wish I had an ounce of the energy he had so I could keep up with him. And one day he will listen to his mom, right?

So keep on climbing those trees, crawling across the floor like Spiderman, and dancing like nobody’s watching. In a way, I wish I could be as wild as you!

Mary Olivio
Mary is a caffeine addicted boy mom to Noah, Liam and Luke. This “stay at home” mom can typically been found cruising in her minivan, jamming to Beyonce with a Starbucks in hand on her way to carpool or after school activities. Mary has been married to her high school sweetheart since 2007. She is a founder of Delivering Hope NOLA and the Vanessa Wolff Scholarship Fund at her Alma Mater. Mary is passionate in the local preemie community and has been heavily involved with the March of Dimes since her sons Liam and Luke were born premature.

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