During both my pregnancies, I would spend most of my time reading baby and parenting magazines in hopes of being fully prepared for motherhood. Even with my second child.
My goal was to be even better this time and rock it! However, it turns out that no matter how much you read or think you're prepared, there are some challenges that you can never be ready for.
There are also certain things that you only learn along the journey of motherhood and this is where I'll cover the things I wish I knew before becoming a mother.
Things Get Easier
Yes, believe it or not, but things got easier! Of course, there will always be challenges along the way. But right now, I find motherhood much easier than it used to be.
I had a difficult time with my kids when they were between one and around 4 years of age. Not one, but both of them!
After these stages, it got easier. Though they had different personalities, they would both throw temper tantrums and their sleeping patterns were terrible! One would wake up every two hours for the first three years of his life. And the other would only sleep at around 3 AM and then wake up at 8 AM - with no nap during the day.
I felt like I was losing my mind both times and I was constantly exhausted. Now, I can happily say that I get a good night's rest! And even a nap whenever I need it with no interruptions.
I'm Constantly Going to be Judged and Compared
Yep, you heard it correctly. I also know that this happens to many other moms out there. What I should have known was that it is inevitable.
I'm always going to be told that I'm not doing enough, I don't spend enough time slogging in the kitchen to make that "perfect meal" from scratch.
But what matters is that I should have NEVER let it get to me. I learned that each and every mother has their own set of struggles and difficulties and that there is no such thing as the PERFECT parent.
So, now that I'm a lot tougher, I don't let a single thing get to me now.
It’ll be Frustrating
Let's face it, being a parent is super frustrating and there are going to be many frustrating moments. There is also nothing I can or could do to prevent this. It's just one of the things that are part of mother motherhood.
Lower My Standards
Just like every other mom on the planet, I want the place to be spotlessly clean and everything to be perfect. But unfortunately, no such thing exists when you're a parent.
So, I learned to lower my standards and get things done at my own pace.
Make Time for Me
Being a mom is a 24/7 job but I learned that "me" time is essential for mental and physical health. Therefore, I wish I had this time for myself.
Before becoming a mother, my nails were always manicured, not a strand of hair was out of place, I would not be caught dead without makeup, I never wore flats, you'd always spot me in heels and I kept up with the latest fashion trends and then... Motherhood happened.
I let myself go...
But now, I take pride in my appearance and I regret not doing it sooner.
Motherhood isn't Easy
This should go without saying but as mothers, we are always trying to stay at the top of our game and have things go seamlessly perfect. However, nearly every single day can bring a set of different challenges.
The only thing I can do is solve them as I go along.
Every Child is Different
I realized that both kids have different personalities which will obviously bring about different challenges. And I need to handle them differently.
They both have different habits, likes, dislikes, etc. Now, while I still need to handle both with care, they still have unique needs and I have to parent them differently.