My sister and I have children the same ages. One day (when they were small) I called her and told her what my kids were doing to drive me nuts.

[caption id="attachment_1030" align="aligncenter" width="331" caption="Matthew and his cousin Joshua. In most of the photos of Josh as a boy, he has a bruise on his face."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/JoshMatt1983.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1030" title="JoshMatt1983" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/JoshMatt1983.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="405" /></a>[/caption]

She laughed and said, "How childish of them!" And I laughed too.

[caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Josh, Matthew, Mother, holding Jessica, Amanda, Lisette, Daddy holding Brannon, Andrew hugging Daddy, summer 1986."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thegrandkidsJuly86.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1032 " title="thegrandkidsJuly86" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thegrandkidsJuly86.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="335" /></a>[/caption]

That became a joke between us.  She'd call me, all stressed-out from some crazy thing her kids had done, and I'd tell her that her children were being SO childish.

[caption id="attachment_1034" align="aligncenter" width="518" caption="Lisette, Brannon, Amanda and Jessica, Summer 1986."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/girlcousinsMexicoBeach.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1034" title="girlcousinsMexicoBeach" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/girlcousinsMexicoBeach.jpg" alt="" width="518" height="335" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="text-align: left;">That one phrase reminded us that they were, after all, just children.
And when one of us said, "How childish!" we would both laugh.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What a great motherhood stress reducer!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>adapted from<a title="Debi’s books" href="http://motherhoodstress.com/debis-books/" target="_blank"> Stressbusters for Moms</a>.</em></p>


[caption id="attachment_68" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Published by Zondervan Publishing, endorsed by MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/stressbusters_cover.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-68" title="stressbusters cover" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/stressbusters_cover.jpg" alt="Celebrating Wonder Motherhood" width="300" height="300" /></a>[/caption]