“You’re Gonna Miss This” (Apparently “They” Were Right)

When we were in the early years of parenting—sleepless nights, explosive tantrums over who-knows-what, battles over shoes that absolutely could not touch those socks, spilled snacks, lost loveys, and sheer exhaustion—we heard one phrase on repeat:

“You’re gonna miss this.”

Let me tell you… in the middle of those moments, that phrase did nothing for us.

Nothing.

In fact, it felt mildly offensive.

Why would anyone miss this?

Who are these people?

And more importantly… what kind of parenting amnesia are they suffering from?

Over time, that phrase became a running joke between us and our closest friends—also deep in the trenches of parenting littles. We’d laugh and say, “They say we’re gonna miss this… not sure who ‘they’ are, but apparently they know something we don’t.”

You know the laugh.

The one that’s half humor, half survival.

The kind that says, If I don’t laugh right now, I might cry.

It became our mantra—something to toss out on the hardest days to remind each other to keep going, even when it felt impossibly hard.

But recently… years later… that phrase came back to me from the depths of my memory and hit me square between the eyes.

Because here’s the truth no one explained back then:

You don’t miss the tantrums.

You don’t miss the sleepless nights.

You don’t miss the chaos.

But oh… how many times I’ve caught myself thinking about how simple those “hard” days really were.

Conflicts were smaller.

Problems were fixable.

Worries didn’t involve real-life consequences you can’t control or protect your kids from.

Back then, our biggest stressors were things like:

Finding the lost, milk-filled sippy cup that absolutely existed somewhere

Negotiating bedtime for the 47th time

Or trying to reason with a tiny human who had just discovered the word “no”

And yes… in ways I never expected—I do miss that.

Not because it was easy. {It wasn’t!!}

But because it was simpler.

So if you’re in those early years right now—bone-tired, overwhelmed, wondering how anyone survives this season—hear this:

You’re not wrong for feeling exhausted.

You’re not broken for thinking, There is no way I’ll miss this.

And you’re doing better than you think.

One day, you’ll look back and realize that “missing this” doesn’t mean missing the chaos… it means cherishing the innocence, the simplicity, and the kind of problems you could still fix with a hug, a snack, or a nap.

And when that day comes, you might smile… shake your head… and quietly admit:

Maybe they knew something after all. 💛