Becoming a mom or dad can be amazing and when people say nothing can really prepare you for it, they’re right. Parenting doesn’t come with a how-to guide or a set of directions, but sometimes it feels like it should. BuzzFeed asked parents what they wish someone told them before they had kids and they didn’t hold back.
These are some of the most insightful, relatable responses:
- “Parenting isn’t about being a dictator. I should have treated my children with more respect and listened to them at their own level.”
- “You need to be able to apologize. There are going to be times when you lose it and yell or act out of frustration. Kids take this to heart, and being able to apologize to them goes a long way towards helping them learn how to appropriately deal with their emotions.”
- “I never knew truly how little sleep I would be getting … The first two years were pretty painful as far as the exhaustion levels go.”
- I wish someone had told me that it’s okay to struggle. Mom guilt is such a horrible thing, especially when you’re a new mom and have literally no idea what you’re doing.”
- “Do what feels the most natural and learn from your mistakes. Let your kids guide you to where you need to be.”
- “Kids are extremely forgiving. You have to be able to forgive yourself.”
- “I wish I had known how much I would have to give up. Not just my finances and time, but my personal space, brain energy, and the freedom of not worrying.”
- “Postpartum hair loss. I had no idea until I was showering after having my son, and my hair was coming out in clumps.”
- “People always talk about how hard it is to take care of a baby. Sure, that’s true in many ways, but it is far, far, far more difficult to take care of a toddler and it gets harder with every single stage.”
- “Have a life outside of your children. Take time to be your own person and do the things you enjoy. Your life doesn’t need to revolve around your children 100% of the time for you to be a present parent.”
Source: BuzzFeed