When I arrived home from hospital with my firstborn it suddenly hit me that I didn’t actually have a clue what to do with this little person I had created. Luckily the basics of feeding them, changing them and generally keeping them alive were straightforward enough but there are a few other things that I have learnt on the job….
I never knew the true meaning of tiredness until I had kids
I have always liked my sleep and was even known to have the odd afternoon nap on my days off yet I’m sure I must have said ‘I’m so tired’ on at least a daily basis. Now I have to laugh at pre-baby me because I had no idea what true tiredness actually felt like! I only learnt about true tiredness after being rudely awakened night in, night out then having to drag my ass out of bed and figure out in my sleep deprived state what the mini person required at 3am. Then somehow despite being up half the night that same mini person is full of energy and jumping on your head at 6am because apparently it is time to get up and start the madness of another day!
I have learned to appreciate the little things like going to the loo by myself!
Before kids I took the little things in life for granted. Going to the loo, having a shower, eating dinner, deciding to go to the shop or simply walking out the door were all things I did everyday and never gave much thought to. After kids these things have turned into major chores that require much planning before being carried out at breakneck speed! The odd time I have managed a trip to the loo or shower without a child (or dog) waiting for me it feels like I have had an all inclusive spa break!
Toys that have 40 million pieces are the bane of a parents life
I know pre-kids I most likely bought these type of toys for kids as presents and I’m sure their parents were cursing me but as a mum I can’t stand the sight of toys that involve 40 million different pieces that somehow end up scattered all over the house and garden with bits getting lost or even worse stood on in my bare feet! So if anyone with kids who should know better buys such a toy for your kids that is pretty much a sign that they have always hated you or maybe payback for a similar toy you brought to their house in your pre-kids naive days!
You can ruin someone’s day by giving them the wrong cup
This was a lesson I learnt when we entered the toddler phase. Giving a toddler the wrong anything can be disastrous and totally ruin their day. Thankfully I have also learnt that the disaster can be fixed just as quickly as it started with a simple distraction and all will be well in the world again!
Not all babies are the same
A major pet hate of mine since having kids has been the well meant advice from random people who tell me what I should be doing with my babies as that is what they did with their babies. For a first time mum it makes you feel as though you are doing something wrong if your baby doesn’t seem to respond the same way as someone else’s child. Thankfully by the time I had my second baby I realised that there wasn’t anything wrong with me or my kids but just that not all babies are the same, what works for one baby might not work for another. So I make a conscious effort not to try to bombard new mums with unwanted advice unless asked, my main advice would be just go with your gut and do what works best for you and your children!
Facebook/Instagram family life isn’t real life
All the picture perfect families on Facebook and Instagram don’t portray real life. Let’s face it no one wants to share a photo of them cleaning up the aftermath of a pooplosion or their kid wiping snot on the dog. Occasionally by pure fluke I manage to get a semi-Instagram worthy shot but even then I probably have to crop it to cut out some of the mess in the background!
You will never have felt a love like you have for your children
This is the most important thing I have learnt. It is impossible to describe the love you have for your babies until you have experienced it yourself. I would literally move mountains if I had to for those little people plus there is no better feeling in the world than their little chubby arms wrapped around you and at the end of the day that is what makes everything else worthwhile!
New Mum Fun 
There are plenty of lessons to learn as you go as a parent. I can’t wait until it is my turn.
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I am a mom to 5 kids and I related to this post so much! I can say these are all things I have also learned since becoming a mom. The being tired one makes me laugh. I hear someone who doesn’t have kids complain about how tired they are, and I’m over here like you have no idea what tired is until you have kids. Even as tired as we are, it is so true we don’t know love until we know the love of our kids and you are right that it does make it all worth while.
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Yes! I relate to all of this. Becoming a mom changed me completely.
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I can totally see you became a better version of yourself when you became a mother. Your lessons are so wise.
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Yes to all of this – especially the part about Facebook and Instagram family life not being real…it’s the shiny trailer to the movie which is definitely not very shiny!
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i just want to give you a hug and a cup of coffee/tea ! being a mother is by far the most beautiful and the most romanticized thing 🙂 love how you are honest about your new mum experience
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I can totally relate to this as an exhausted mum of two very different girls!
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Erin is 3.5 and I still never get to pee on my own! One day maybe!
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There will be more lessons you will learn. Trust me. My children are young adults now and OMG, what a journey I’ve been through.
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I’m not a mum yet so I can only imagine how you must feel. The tiredness part is real. I’ve stayed with kids. It can be exhausting.
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This is so lovely. Being a mum was never easy. It takes time to learn and it takes a forever learning.
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I can totally relate to the last sentence that you said. I can imagine what every parents felt like to have a children and what they feel towards them.
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Loved this post, it is all so true and it is one of the hardest things we do but one of the most rewarding x
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Yes to all of these!! My two babies were really different, but until I had my second I always questioned myself. Then I had another and realised it was nothing I had done, they were just different by nature.
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I can relate to everyone of these! Nothing can truly prepare you for what it’s like being a parent.
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I have learnt so much over the past 17 years and I am still learning ever day.
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Motherhood is nothing like I thought it would be and I wouldn’t change it!
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I am sure it is the most rewarding work though. I just didn’t think I had the energy to have kids!
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Yes.. being a mom is not easy and can be very tiring. And it does not get easier. When my boys were young, they were near. Now they are older, I have a new tired feeling. I worry about them being out and I am not content until I see them. Enjoy them while they are young. They truly do grow too fast.
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The points were both heartwarming and funny. I can vouch for the mom who has thrown away plenty of those 40 million piece toys because I didn’t have the energy to pick them up yet again. I feel the same about toys with batteries.
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you have spoken the truth! I can attest to every single one of your lessons learned ; )
fun read! My kids are now 9 and 10 years old, this post brought me down memory lane when they were toddlers…ha!
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As a mom to two wonderful (yet crazy) boys, I can relate to every single one of these! Motherhood changes things in so many ways, both good and bad!
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It’s definitely a journey and I think parenthood makes you more aware.
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This is such a relatable post! I worked with children before becoming a parent, so I thought I was 100% prepared, but I quickly figured out that I still had tons to learn.
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I am not a mom yet but I do planning to become one soon so I have to say I do hope I will see it all for myself. this post shows that first of all you became wiser being a mom
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Yes yes and yes again. Especially the tired part. Dear Hubs and I were late to parenting, and we were grateful to our extra 10 years of life experience, except when it came to surviving on suboptimal amounts of sleep…
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All so true! Great post!
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