What I wish people knew about raising a ‘wild’ child

Raising a “wild child” is not for the faint of heart. You spend a lot of mental energy gearing up for public outings, praying that your child won’t literally tear things down. You spend a lot of time sweating and chasing and white-knuckling it through the day. You are exhausted all the time, not just from all that chasing but from the mental energy spent trying to keep your spirited child from wreaking havoc on anything and everything and the emotional energy spent feeling like you must be doing something wrong.

By the end of the day, you collapse into a heap of sighs and tears, hopeful that the next day will be a little easier. 

You wish they knew how helpful a kind word, a “me too” or an “I’ve been there” comment would be, how it would be a life raft on those days when you feel like you’re drowning.

You also spend a lot of time dealing with side-eye judgey looks, snide comments, snarky remarks from strangers, family and other parents. There is so much they don’t see. So much they don’t know.

Related: To the mama raising a ‘wild child’ like Prince Louis 

You wish people knew that this mischievous child of yours—who is (literally?) hanging from the rafters—also gives you the very best hugs when you’re feeling down. 

You wish they knew how helpful a kind word, a “me too” or an “I’ve been there” comment would be, how it would be a life raft on those days when you feel like you’re drowning.

You wish they knew that even though you sometimes wish your child could calm down for just one minute, you are also in awe of their adventurous spirit and boundless curiosity. 

You wish they knew how your energetic child’s outgoing nature makes them a good friend—to everyone. 

You wish they knew how hard you’re trying, how you’re trying to teach your child manners and how to be respectful without breaking their spirit.

You wish they knew how deep their words cut, how you spend days and weeks ruminating on their judgments, wondering if you are doing it all wrong. 

You wish they knew what it’s like to wish your child could be like the other children, and then instantly regret it because you know that your child’s wild spirit and energetic soul is exactly who they are meant to be and what the world needs.

You wish they knew that your “wild child” isn’t trying to be disruptive or rude, that they are actually trying really hard to control themselves. 

You wish they knew that you are constantly worried whether you’re doing right by your child, whether you’re giving them the space to be who they are while also teaching them how to be in the world around them.

You wish people knew that as much as your child’s wildness makes you want to pull your hair out sometimes, you also admire their untamed freedom and joyful energy.

You wish people could hear how infectious your child’s laugh is, how big their heart is, and how warm their soul is. 

Related: An ode to the wild child 

You wish they knew the deep sigh of relief you exhale when you finish an errand or public outing that didn’t devolve into chaos.

Most of all, you wish people could know how hard you are all trying, how much you love your wild child, and the lengths to which you’ll go to protect them from having their spirit broken by the judgment of people who just don’t know how magical they really are.