Parenthood
10 Things They Never Tell You...Until It’s Too Late
“No one ever told me that parenthood would be like this!” Over the years, my husband has heard me utter this complaint on a regular basis.
It’s true. The parenting books leave out some critical information. I’m not an expert, but I’ve definitely done some field work (my boys are now 9 and 11), so I’ve compiled a cautionary list for new and prospective parents. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.
Things I never expected when I was expecting:
1. How proud I would be. Whether it’s seeing them learn to ride a bike, ace a math test, or help a friend–my pride in them far outweighs anything I could ever accomplish personally.
2. How much milk they could spill. I won’t cry over it, but I would have liked to buy stock in a dairy company.
3. How incredibly good it can feel to snuggle up with them. Nothing can compare to that warm little (or not-so-little!) body nestled next to mine.
4. How they can never have enough Legos®...until it comes time to pick them up. (I’m told that Barbies® are equally insidious.)
5. That just when I think I’ve figured out what they like–to eat, to wear, to do–they’ll change their minds. They may want a peanut butter sandwich every day for a year, but one day (when I have nothing else in the house) they’ll say “I don’t like peanut butter!”
6. How much time I would spend worrying. Whatever made me think that I’d start sleeping through the night once they did?
7. That being a taxi driver is part of the job description. Just the other day, I made five separate trips to the middle school!
8. That they would develop a mind of their own so quickly. Whether it’s drawing a picture, choosing a radio station, or selecting a t-shirt to wear, they have surprisingly (and often inconveniently) strong opinions. So much for malleable young minds!
9. How fast they would grow up. I swear it was just the other day that they were learning how to walk.
10. That it’s all worth it.
—Michele Wade expertly balances her roles as an active mother of two and an account executive and writer for MindShare Strategies.