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I love winter. The fashion, the food, the fires. But it's cold. And rain makes my hair curly. Summer is ok. Whilst the beach and the sun are nice, the heat ruins my running and I must get up at 4am to clock the kms early before the whinging kicks in.

Our life and the different stages of parenting are like seasons. Like seasons, we often find ourselves longing for the next one. Whilst we love the winter coats and boots, we hate the cold and look forward to spring.

Parenting is like seasons. And instead of quickly acknowledging what we like about our current season, then wishing for the next one to arrive, we need to embrace the season we are in. 

The fact is, all of us are in different life chapters. Social media is wonderful at highlighting other people’s chapters and enabling us to long to be in their chapter.

How divine does it look to wake up to the sunrise and sip on water with freshly squeezed lemon. To begin the day with writing in your gratitude journal, completing meditation, all followed by a homemade Acai bowl.

If this is your chapter, then embrace it. There are beautiful things within this chapter to hold on to and not start planning what is around the corner.

If your chapter is a 5am alarm, drinking pre-workout to get out the door to meet running friends at 5:30am to snap off 15km before the children wake, then embrace that. You may not have the calmness of the previous chapter, but you also have the 5 year old, who will look at Strava, and try to decipher what picture you made on your run today. Embrace that.

Your current season may lean towards excelling at an established career, renovating or overseas travelling with friends.

Or it may be a season that involves making sure you leave your employment just in time for pick up, constant care giving, and travel that involves caravan parks with waterparks and jumping pillows.

Don't fall into the trap if wishing your current season to be over. 

Your life will hold so many seasons. So many different chapters. Embrace them.

Seasons change – they are temporary. We are all in different cycles, so there is no benefit in comparing yourselves with others. Each season will bring its own lesson. It's not better or worse – its just a different season.

Whilst it is easy to envy friends who don’t need to hire babysitters for nights out anymore, they may also be envying you with the little one that climbs into your bed at 2am for a mummy cuddle.

I myself, are in two different seasons, at the same time. A season of a reception child finding joy and wonder at small things. Then a season of a child finding his independence as he prepares for high school in a years time.

Both seasons are different and most days, I don’t long for either to be over.

And I’m learning new things. Or relearning things I had forgotten, whilst I was trying to race to the next chapter. As a reception mum, i have re-learnt;

• Tuck shop is the equivalent of your mum's weekend away. It's something they count down the days, they start to pick their orders and the prospect that it is almost here brings about an excitement like no other.
• Sand will be everywhere. You think emptying the shoes at the front door will be enough. But you will still find sand. Everywhere.
• If you ask, what did you do today at pick up, 9/10 times the response will be “I forgot”. They will then remember what they did at bedtime, and stall for an hour to tell you.

As a Year 5 mum, I am learning;

• Walking home from school with a friend on your own, is basically the same getting your P's;
• Minecraft is different to roblox;
• Fractions is harder to remember than you thought.

Two seasons. Embracing both. Soaking them all in, secretly hoping the time may slow down a little.

Whatever your chapter is. Read every page. Don’t skip to the next one.

Embrace the season you are in. Hold tight that little hand that still reaches up to you to cross the road, because the next season is just around the corner.