Little Homeschool on the Prairie: Blogging through the Alphabet

Letter O is for Old

Yes, Old. Hee Hee this has been a topic that has came up often in conversations in my life. The last few years we have had many friends whose kids are either graduating high school or even college. The other scenario we see is that friends are traveling and doing those things when your kids have grown up, have jobs, children, and basically living an independent life. When my husband and I married some 26+ years ago our parents were the age we are when we started our family.

Our kids are still young with Little Man being 11 and Bug is 14. My beloved and I joke with our son often that when he graduates from college (if the decides to go that path) that he will have to start to take care of us. We tell him to make sure he has a big trunk for two walkers. We aren’t a serious bunch and like to joke around.

Bug has a lot of disabilities and the reality is that she will most likely need someone to care for her the rest of her life. That leaves Little Man basically. My husband and I both have one sibling living one which is our age and the other is much older.

Over the last few years we have developed friendships with older parents. I know it’s nothing new being an older parent in our recent generation. I also see others who think that it cruel to put a burden like that on our children. That it will affect our kid’s relationships, careers, emotional stability, and having a child with special needs is a post in itself. The reality I think it’s more of a heart condition with our kids. Also the relationship you have with our kids. They don’t see it as cruel or selfish on our part.

Thankfully, we are healthy and don't have any major health issues. We don’t move as fast as we use to and we have more aches and pains. We don’t need any medications. Praise God that we don’t have any health issues.

This Old parenting has been on my mind lately. Maybe it’s because my mother in law had a major heart attack a few weeks ago and that I have had two recent deaths in my family.

I’m thankful that I had my children later in life. I see many younger parents that are very immature and they stress out on the little things in life. No, I'm not saying younger parents are immature just some individuals who act like kids themselves. Other parents are building their careers and have a harder time keeping up with their kids.

I don’t stress out on the little things that seem to plague younger moms. Trust me it’s not that I don’t have any stress as I’m a mom with a child with disabilities. Hopefully, I’m wiser and I feel that I’m more emotionally stable with all the things that this life throws at you. I feel that my kids are more emotionally stable and secure with who they are because of this. I'm pretty set in my ways already. Not that I can't be compromised with.

Another aspect is homeschooling for my family. My husband and I look back when we were younger and the reality is that the homeschooling path would have not been something we would have considered. Homeschooling is an aspect that I cherish with my kids. Our relationship as a family is a tight knit one. We enjoy spending time and learning together. My kids talk to me about everything. For that I’m grateful beyond measure. My kids aren’t embarrassed at having an older parent. I know moms’ who have kids who are embarrassed with having older parents. Yes, I color my hair as I’m not ready to go gray yet! I have a lot of gray under my hair color! Maybe one day I will go natural.

On the other hand it is a scary thing for my son. My daughter doesn’t understand that we may one day die. He understands that we are older. We make light of it with the whole walker thing. He gets it and sometimes has a fear that we may die before he becomes an adult or that we wont' be around for a long time. We talk about it when he feels that way. He has a big burden that some kids don’t-his sister. We talk about this often. He knows that it won’t be easy but, he loves his sister and wants the best for her. The reality is that he will have to take care of her one day. I hate that it is something he may have to do. I hope that my beloved and I live a long life so he doesn’t have to have that burden. I know his heart and he has a tender heart towards his big sister.

There is obviously nothing I can do about my age, but I can reassure my son and do everything I can to take care of ourselves so that we can be around for a long time. He also understand that it’s ultimately up to God to when we take our last breathe.

I’m grateful being an older parent. I don’t know what the future holds for my children. I trust in a mighty God and it’s in His hands.

Are you and older mom? What do you see as the advantages or disadvantages? I’d love to hear from you.

Other bloggers have joined in Blogging through the Alphabet. Annette and Amanda are hosting this on their blogs. Stop by and see what they are blogging about with the letter O.

#abcblogging

You can see my other post of this series below: