Note to Self -- Things to Remember When I'm Old

     I joke around that I need to make a note to myself of things to remember when I'm old.  I decided to go ahead and start my list!


*Stay in the church nursery.  Making parents of young children stay in the nursery is cruel and unusual punishment.  Parents of young children desperately want adult interaction.  Desperately.  Give a mom (and dad) a break, and stay in the nursery and rock some babies.  Better yet, teach pre-school Sunday School.


*Don't idealize your child rearing days.  Admit that you lost your temper, burned their food, hurt your kids' feelings, and lived with mountains of laundry.  Parenting is not easy.  Don't forget it.


*Don't say, "Appreciate them now.  They'll be gone before you know it," when a mom is trying to console a screaming, writhing, red-faced child at the grocery store.


*Babysit -- so the parents can go out on a date.  It may be the only date they get all year!


*Help out in children's ministry at church.  Don't think, "I did my time."  


*Do not make your adult kids feel guilty about holidays.  They canNOT be in two places at once, and they need to leave and cleave (My parents and my husband's parents don't do this, but I know plenty of moms and dads who do this to their adult children, and I don't want to do it to mine).


*Tell a mother she's an awesome mom when she's having a good mommy-moment!  Encourage her.  She needs it.


*Do not tell moms in the midst of potty training how your oldest was completely potty trained at 2 and a half.  Remember that your youngest was almost 4.


* "TMI"  There are some things that are simply too much information.  Enough said.


     That's my list so far.  How about you?  What's on your list?  What do you want to remember when you are old(er)?