I’m not a mother just yet, but I have eight young godchildren who are teaching me how to be one. They are loud and crazy. They keep going when you say stop. They get food everywhere. They love drawing on themselves. They get their hands on the most random things. Let’s face it – anything they do puts you to work. What do you expect? They’re kids.
The oldest one is five, the youngest one is a newborn and the rest are in that terrible two stage. They are the children of my best friends. Throughout the past five years, I did the same thing whenever one of my friends said the words “I’m pregnant.” I freaked out (in a good way). What did I do when each one asked me to be a godmother? I freaked out ten times more.
Being a godmother is not just a title to wave around. It can come with a lot of responsibility. You don’t just disappear for weeks and only show up when it’s a special occasion in their lives. This is excusable for those who don’t live in the same city or state as their godchildren, but for me, that’s not the case.
It may just be the tight relationship my best friends and I have, because to us, a godmother means being a second mother to these kids. You’ve got to step it up when it comes to babysitting, helping with birthday decorations, picking out toys and clothes, kissing their boo-boos… the list goes on.
I have to admit, it wasn’t until I started babysitting my godchildren that I learned it’s one heck of a job. It’s not easy doing something you’re not used to. If you don’t change diapers every day, the smell will surprise you every time. If you don’t always hear babies crying, it can be overwhelming when you don’t know how to make it stop. But let me tell you something – all of that is worth it.
A day with these kids or even a few hours with them is one word: rewarding. For me, my godchildren are teaching me an important lesson in life – how to be a role model. Here are five ways my godchildren are keeping me on my toes.
If someone’s looking up to you, you can’t just be a couch potato all day. I have to show these kids I’m a woman who knows how to be a second mom while juggling work and hundreds of assignments or projects.
Nowadays, it’s so easy to just be glued to your smart phone or tablet. My godchildren love to talk, just as much as they love to ask questions. I listen to what they say and respond thoughtfully instead of a “uh huh, okay.” This allows me to spark up more conversations that teach them about the wonders of life.
My godchildren love to copy anything and everything. That means they’re bound to repeat whatever comes out of my mouth. I once stubbed my toe on one of their toys. I wanted to scream a pretty bad word, but I kept my cool. If I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t be alive right now because their parents would have killed me.
I’ve been told this is an important trait to have as a role model. It shows my godchildren that I am always a person they can come to about anything. Whatever they need, I’m there.
Every little thing I do around my godchildren is a reflection of myself. The last thing I want is for them to think it’s okay to be rude because they see me acting that way. Manners go a long way. When they hear me say “please” and “thank you” they’ll remember to say those exact words, too. You can’t go wrong with respectful kids.
Aside from my godchildren teaching me how to be a role model, I am also learning a lot about myself. I didn’t know I could imitate Disney characters so well. I didn’t know blowing bubbles could get pretty messy. I didn’t know I could sing along to movies for an hour straight. I didn’t know I could dance like a monkey. I didn’t know I could love so much.
That’s what it’s like having eight godchildren.
