When I was expecting my first child I read as many parenting books as I could because I wanted to be prepared. I didn’t know that nothing would prepare me for the beautiful, crazy way my life was about to change.
When my daughter was born and the sleepless nights began, I told the pediatrician that I needed help keeping her on a schedule. He looked at me and said, “Babies, don’t have schedules.” I was thinking, “but the book said they do. What other lies did they tell me?”
Here are a few of the many parts of parenthood that you won’t find in a book:
In the early years, you may find yourself wishing you could have five minutes to yourself, but when they are older you will wish they would spend five more minutes with you.
Parenting teaches you vital life skills like resiliency, flexibility, and mental strength.
You will have to make decisions for your child that are for her good instead of enabling her, and that can be hard.
You will feel fierce protectiveness and love like nothing you have known before.
Parenting will humble you. It’s difficult to look cool after a diaper blowout in a restaurant, or a nasty tantrum in the middle of the grocery store.
You will learn about strange childhood diseases like Roseola Virus that strikes around 18 months and comes with a high fever, a rash, and vomiting. There are some disgusting ones like pin worms which is when your child plays in the dirt and then puts his finger in his mouth, and suddenly there are white worms in his butt.
You understand the anxiety your parents went through when your child spends the night somewhere else.
You will learn sneaky ways to help your child do the right thing.
When your child does something wrong you will feel guilty and wonder if it was because you are a bad parent. Spoiler alert! You probably are not.
You will see parents who seem to parent effortlessly while you are on a daily struggle, but that parent is only better at hiding the mess.
The laughter of your children is beautiful music.
You will be able to tell that your child has a messy diaper from ten feet away.
What worked once to solve a problem, will not work a second time.
Your child will be an adult in a blink of an eye.
These are only a few of the many things you will encounter as a parent. It is a day-by-day learning experience and a beautiful ride.
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