I find myself in a situation that is somewhat unusual, or should I say unusual for me, at least from what I've been used to. For the first time in a while a large percentage of the people I talk with and care about have children substantially younger than me. It's been a lot of fun reliving moments like those I experienced with my own three daughters (the youngest of which is entering middle school in the fall), as well as remembering the hardships of early childhood that I went through (potty training my middle one comes to mind). Having come out on the other side of the "toddler/preschool tunnel" as I call it, I have to say: "Gosh, it was so much easier then".
Ok, all you sleep deprived mothers of babies and toddlers, hear me out before you meet up at my door with torches and pitchforks. It's not that I think babies are a breeze or toddlers trouble free, but to those of you who have dreamed of the days of blissful full nights of sleep once you have self reliant kids I say (and pardon the pun) "dream on". Yes, early childhood presents itself and you with a lot of work, which is mostly physical. In early childhood they need you absolutely, and for the most part their requirements are straight forward and easily remedied. Once they are teens you abdicate a large portion of their need to individuals who are completely outside your control. Your trust in yourself as a caregiver has to give way to trust in your child as a decision maker. The hurts in infancy and childhood are easily addressed. I would choose rocking a fussy baby with teething pain all night over listening to my teenage daughter cry after a bad breakup. Sure, my husband and I can get out more often, but the worry is so much greater. Our date night conversations have morphed from concerns that the babysitter may be unable to soothe them, to fretting over who they're driving with, and whether the party they're at is serving alcohol. When little you remind them to brush their teeth before bed, as teens you remind them not to ever get in a car with someone who's been drinking. But, the penalty is so much more severe when they're adolescents. Forgetting to use the potty at age five and wetting the bed is frustrating to be sure, but your teen choosing to have unprotected sex is a whole other ball of wax. A friend of mine confided that she had altered her prayers for her kids from asking for health and protection when they were little ones, to asking God to place people in the paths of her teens who would appropriately guide them, and to ask that her teens never make a decision from which they can't recover.

It is undeniably a challenging, difficult thing to be a mother, each phase presenting unique challenges. And as the years race by, and you my friends, the blessed mommies of babies and toddlers, watch them grow and change in a heartbeat, I think you'll see that your love and worries get just as big as they do.