My Week As A Mom

Living someone else's life for any period of time is a great privilege. I've gotten to experience it a few times throughout my life and it's an experience for sure. Each time, I learn more about them, myself, and the things I want to do with my own life. Earlier this month was one such opportunity.

Some friends of ours were going on a trip and asked me to stay with their five kids for a week. The oldest two are high school and were responsible for themselves, but the younger three I was in charge of getting to and from school, getting homework done, etc. I've stayed with this family before but never for this length of time.

What I Learned About Them
Each time I've stayed with someone else's kids or spent a lot of time with a family, I start to get an idea of their family culture. The struggles and challenges, as well as the really cool things they do as a family. This time was no exception.

I have such a huge respect for the mom and all she has to juggle. The youngest one's teacher said that I got the kids to school earlier than their parents ever do but that was because I didn't have to get myself ready for the day as well! I could just drop off but she also works at the school.

One of the things that I love about this family are the sibling dynamics. They are very close and for the most part, get along pretty well. I admire that, especially with the wide age range. But staying for a week means that I got to see some real struggles as well. If you're just babysitting for the night, you can be a lot more lenient and fun, but for a week, you have to enforce rules and actually discipline! And I did.

What I Learned About Me
Mostly I learned that I am more capable than I think. Getting up at 6 AM is never my idea of a good time but I did it and I wasn't a zombie! I really feel like things went very smoothly and I handled new experiences very well. The mom asked me to get the oil changed (something I've never done before) and I ended up having to take one of the cats to the emergency vet with the oldest child, something neither of us have ever done before! But I wasn't panicked or worried. Even the major discipline issue I feel like I handled well. I gained a lot of confidence in myself through the experiences of that week.

What I Learned About Life
Since getting up at 6 AM is not something I enjoy, my desire to homeschool is solidified each time I have to take kids to school. I also find the schedule of a school day to be rather disjointed. That might not be the best word, but I feel like the timing of things just doesn't work well. Especially when you have evening activities but you need the kids to go to bed at a decent time to get them up at 6:30. It's working for this family, but it's not something I want for my own. I think that is the biggest thing that I am learning. I am so thankful that I get the opportunity to experience what life is like with kids in school because it just confirms what I've already thought I want!


I am so thankful for experiences like these. They are filled with fun and great memories but also let me learn and grow in a way that I would not otherwise be able to. Every time I walk away with gratitude for my own life, for what mothers do day in and day out, year after year, and a new knowledge about myself. And even thought each experience has challenges, I would definitely do them again. I guess that is exactly what a mom would say - even though there are very hard days or seasons, they would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Have you ever gotten to live another person's life before, for any length of time? What kinds of things did you learn through the experience?