10 Things I wish I would have known before having kids…
1. Babies don’t require a lot of stuff. We bought a swing, a jump-a-roo, a bassinet, a crib, a vibrating chair, a high chair, a bumbo, a bathtub, a sink bathtub, a car seat, a stroller that the car seat could plug into, a jogging stroller, an umbrella stroller… Our house looked like a preschool. All a baby needs is a crib, car seat and some diapers. (I would limit myself to one stroller now…)
2. I’m not raising a baby, but I’m raising a functioning adult. It’s important to imagine the end result and work your way towards it.
3. Kids are expensive… I always heard babies are expensive but then they keep getting growing and need new clothes, school, activities, braces, cars, college…
4. I didn’t realize how much I would miss dating my husband. I’ve had to make us a priority. I’ve had to fight for our time together, when before it was easy and second-nature.
5. The days are long but the years are short. I hated when people would say that when I was at home, 40 pounds overweight, fighting postpartum depression, and rocking a colicky baby. But IT IS TRUE! My colicky baby is almost 9 and it feels like just yesterday that we were in the throes of breastfeeding and diapers.
6. That my travel life would look so much different even if I swore it wouldn’t.
7. That when they walked into Kindergarten for the first time that I could breathe a sigh of relief and simultaneously my heart break in half.
8. Even though I didn’t think I would be THAT parent- I AM. I put my kids first way too often because I see the difference in their behavior when I don’t.
9. I wish I had known how insane such small people could make me but also fill me with such pride and joy.
10. I wish I had known not to get nice furniture or worry about the perfect nursery because they don’t remember what that room looked like and they certainly don’t care to not beat up said expensive furniture.
(The last 5 were from my friend Heather. Thanks, HH for your help!)
What do you wish you would have known before you had kids?
Mary- YES…all of this. After 3 boys, I feel ya on all of these (except the nursery stuff…we never set up a formal nursery for them as they just slept with us. When I struggle with each of them (9, 4 and 1) I have to remind myself that the days are long and the years are short. Awesome post!