They’re either (relatively) new friends that I’ve met at babygroup, or they’re friends from ‘before’ who are also now Mums.
And with these friends I feel I can be pretty open about the hard parts of being a parent, because they understand. They’ve been through all the same stuff, and know how exhausting it can be. They get that some days are just hard.
But they also know the good stuff. I don’t feel the need to gush about how wonderful being a Mum is, because they know that stuff too. What we really need to talk about is the hard stuff. To feel like we’re not alone in finding some days hard.
I do have one good friend in particular though who isn’t yet a Mother.
Who is still considering all sides of the decision of whether to have a child or not. And I have to remember to be a bit more aware of what I say about how tired I am and how hard some days are with the children. I have to remember that she needs to hear about the wonderful moments, as well as the awful ones.
So, this is for any women out there reading this who aren’t quite there yet, but think one day you might want to be a Mother:
But. Oh but. It is worth it all.
It is worth every single sleepless night. Every single tear. Everything.
You will know love like you’ve never known it before. A fierce, all-consuming, unconditional love. You will feel it for your children, and you’ll feel it from them.
No, you won’t cherish every moment, but there will be moments that will stay with you forever.
These moments won’t come with a fanfare, you might not even notice them as they happen, yet they’ll stay with you. The quiet moments. The feel of your newborn’s hand wrapped around your finger. The smell of the back of their neck. The warmth of their body and the feel of the gentle rise and fall of each breath as they sleep on your chest.
Those moments are yours and yours alone. And they make it all worth it.
Please, don’t let my words of tiredness and frustration put any doubts in your mind about parenthood. Yes, it is hard. But it is also wonderful. Becoming a Mother is the best thing I’ve ever done.
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
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Ooooo….you just flung me right back into that private little cocoon of tiny little new baby love. Man; they are killing me this arsenic hour, but awwww they were so tiny and smelt so lovely. Thank you for that precious memory. #twinklytuesday
I’m glad I put those wonderful memories back in your head to help you cope with the tough times! x
The tricky times are definitely outweighed by the joy kids bring us. It must be true or I would nver have had 6! #TwinklyTuesday
Six, wow! Well having kids really can’t be all that terrible then! x
I will take your word for it. I’m excited to be one too. Soon, I hope. 🙂
Hey, Happy Mother’s Day in advance.
Ahh, thank you! I’m so excited for you, for the possibility of being a Mother soon, it really is wonderful! x
There are days when I run my parents ragged, when they are stressed and tearful and bickering. But even on those worst days they are a million times happier than they were before me and they love me an infinite amount for always x #KCACOLS
Haha, thanks for this great comment! x
So right! I did find when I was pregnant that everyone wanted to tell me how horrible it was, how I would never sleep, how I would wish for the days before children. But nobody told me how wonderful it was. I try to tell everyone that despite the challenges motherhood really is the best #KCACOLS
Oh wow, can’t believe all you got were the horror stories! I think people think it’s funny to scare expectant mothers sometimes! x
It’s so difficult to get the balance right, isn’t it? I worry that I scare some of my non-parent friends when they say ‘Oh, I don’t think I could do it’! But it’s amazing what you can get through that you never thought you would, and amazing at how all of those little moments make everything worth while. And I try to make sure I tell them that too! #KCACOLS
It’s so hard! And it is amazing what you realise you can cope with and get through when you have no choice, and when it’s related to caring for your children! x
Here, here! For all the frustrating, sleep-deprived, non-stop times… there are the many, many rewards of that unconditional love, of the absolute do-anything-in-the-world-for-them love… #kcacols
That’s the perfect description of the love you feel for your child! Maybe we do need to shout about it a bit more! x
Some very wise words – you are right there is nothing quite like becoming a parent and I don’t think you can prepare for it. You just have to learn on the job – but it is the best job in the world!
Thank you for linking up to #KCACOLS and I hope to see you back again on Sunday
You really can’t prepare for it can you, but it really is worth it! x
You’ve made me all tearful again! What a wonderful post. And you have the joy of knowing that one day, you will have the privilege of seeing your daughter going through the same experience.
Oh I didn’t mean to make you cry again! That is a lovely thought though, that I have all that joy to come in the future! x
Such a nice advice for couples going to have kids.
Such a nice advice for couples going to have kids. #twinklytuesday
Thank you, I hope it does help some expectant parents know it really is wonderful! x
Brilliant post – such great little reminders of the amazing parts to being a parent…sometimes with the early mornings, failed naps, difficult mealtimes, you can forget the wonderful things. #KCACOLS
Thank you! It’s easy to focus on the hard parts isn’t it, and those tend to be the parts you want to talk about too, to help get through it. I think we need to talk about the amazing bits more! x
This is so sweet and so true! Couldn’t agree more – motherhood is tough but we are so lucky to be moms 🙂 #KCACOLS
We really are lucky aren’t we! x