I feel like I am mixed up in TRANSITION of no longer being a Mother of preschool aged children!

For the past 10 years I have had at least one child who was preschool age at home. My story of a Mother of 4 is a little complicated. I have actually been even if only momentarily a Mother of over 18 children. I know what your thinking so let me answer your question! No, I am not related to the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe!

I have been a Mother of a preschooler for 10 years!!!

The journey started when I was 19. I married a man who had  primary custody of his two small children 2 and 5. We married when I was 20 which officially made me step mom to his 3 and 6 year old children. At the age of 21 I had my first child who is now 8. We began our foster parent journey while he was 2. We have fostered over 18 children from 2008- until just last month!

The small 2 year old and 5 year old I fell in love with 10 years ago are now 13 (middle school) and 16 (high school )! My baby is 5 (pre-k) and my oldest is 8 (elementary).

Having a preschooler in the house has been a HUGE part of my mom identity for so long I am now having some issues getting use to being a part of the “older kids Mom Club!” (If there is such a thing, because I can’t seem to find one!) I mean I have a 16 year old Step Son for crying out loud! Ha ..not to mention I am only 29!

It seems that there is a high demand for encouragement and advice for Moms of preschoolers! I would know! I served as a leader of the MOPS STEERING team for 2 years and loved every minuet of it. I attended the MOMCONs which we AMAMAZING I like to add!

Where is my child is not a preschooler but not a teenager either Club, or the Club for the Mom who has two sets of aged children: Not preschool/not teenager and Mom of TEENS!? I need help and support when I get asked where babies come from, why there are evil people in the world, why cake is not considered a dinner food, why some people have two mommies and two daddies and I only have one!? The list goes on!

Motherhood is a  journey in itself. As we are raising our children up to be suitable adults, we are growing more mature all the while, and all the wiser! A mother of a preschooler seems to be trapped into that identity and mindset even if she does have much older children she is raising as well! Let’s not mention how Step motherhood is like a whole nother adventure of motherhood!!! Foster Motherhood is bitter, sweet.

To think that this coming fall I will not have any small children at home feels so strange and foreign to me. I work at a Mothers Day Out Preschool three days a week so even while I am at work, my child has been there with me. Next year she will be going to public school, and I will officially be separated from all my children during the school day! 😦

I am basically just rambling, but I am curious if this is just a normal thought/emotional process for a mom who is no longer a mom to a child under 4?

xoxo

Leigh Leigh