Before I had kids I thought I knew what to expect. Call it my naivety but once Liam was born I felt completely unprepared. People don’t really tell you the ins and outs of being a new mom. When I think back on my almost 6 years of parenting I wanted to share 5 odd things no one tells you about before you become a mom.
5 Odd Things No One Tells You About Before You Become A Mom
How hard potty training can be: We just potty trained Charlotte and while this was REALLY easy it wasn’t the first time we tried. We actually tried back in September and it went very badly. She was not ready. Not all kids are ready at the same time. Now she’s 3 and she made the decision. It took one day. But with both my kids they had to do it on their terms. If you don’t do it until they are ready it’s very easy but if you force it, it can be a nightmare.
How the newborn stage is the easiest it is: When you are pregnant people tell you constantly how hard it is with a newborn. They tell you how tired you will be etc. What people don’t tell you is how the newborn stage is the easiest it will be. The older your kids get the crazier it gets. Newborns are way easier than toddlers!
That you will love/hate every single stage: Every stage of parenthood so far has been equal parts hard and wonderful. They all have their challenges that are very different. When they are first born it’s challenging in a way that’s completely different from when they are 3, 5, etc. I loved every single stage and thought every stage was hard.
The things that drive you crazy about your kids are the things you most have in common with them: Charlotte can be so frustrating and the things that frustrate me about her (her lack of patience, quickness to anger) are exact things that I do! She is so much like me it can be terrifying. While Liam is very much like Andrew.
That you will talk to your husband about your kids’ bodily functions constantly: It constantly cracks me up how Andrew and I will talk about kid poop like it’s the most normal thing to discuss. I feel like all parents can understand it but if you are around friends who don’t have kids it can be a little strange.
What is something odd no one told you about before becoming a mom?
Oh I still believe the newborn stage is the hardest. Its one of many reasons why we didn’t have a second as I never ever wanted to go back to that. It was awful! Saying that my best friend loved the newborn stage and would take that over the “terrible twos” and the “threenager” stage. I do 10% agree with you about the potty training stage. It took forever and I wish I had waited. One thing no one ever really told me is how much I would hate my husband and I mean truly hate and wanted to chop his head off (whilst still really loving him and wanting to have 100 more babies with him). The first year of parenting is so hard and he works away (at that time he was 2 weeks at home, 2 weeks away) so I hated him for the fact that he could go away, do his 12 hour shift and then go to bed and sleep all night for those 2 full weeks. He would then have the audacity to complain to me how tired he was haha. The best thing now that my daughter is 10, having a wee friend. Shes my buddy, we go out to dinner, we go to the theatre, cinema, hikes etc. When her Dad is away (now 3 weeks away and 3 weeks at home), its just me and her and we are quite the unit!
The newborn stage being the easiest it is is so true! In hindsight I’ve definitely realised this.
As a dad, I found the terrible 2 or 3’s were easy. The 4’s were harder.
Great take on becoming a new parent. I have a friend that’s a new parent and I’m sending this to her. She will definitely appreciate your helpful list.
Yes, I agree with all of these things. My daughter is 4 and a half and before having her I was a teacher for 3-6 year olds for nine years. That experience, although helpful, did not prepare me for the real challenges of being a mom!
It’s the greatest gift. It’s the hardest job. It’s very tiring. There are plenty of true-enough clichés that get thrown about on the subject of raising kids.
#4 is so relatable right now especially with my 8yo! She and I butt heads more now than ever. My husband quietly reminds me that she is exactly like me ..ugh lol
I was told that being a single parent was hard and that I wouldn’t be able to make it. Well, look at me now.. my daughter is healthy and happy, and she’s turning nine years old soon and striving at school, and I have accomplished everything I have always wanted that I couldn’t do when in the past 23 years of my life. Honestly, people need to stop this.
Im not a mom yet but hear this often. Motherhood is a journey with ups and downs and everything in-between.
It is kind of funny that when you get annoyed at your kiddos’ behavior, you realize that they are acting just like you. Or, that has been the case with me and my kids! I feel like every stage of raising kids is difficult, but puberty is definitely the hardest for me!
OMG! This is so true — The things that drive you crazy about your kids are the things you most have in common with them. Hahaha! It’s funny if you think of it but yes, it can definitely drive you crazy.
Interesting! I think it’s that people don’t pay attention to these things. But thank you for mentioning it for moms.
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This captures the beauty and hardships of being a new parent beautifully <3. Well done!