Nobody can really prepare you for the challenges of being a mom. Anybody who ever tried was lying; not intentionally lying perhaps, but lying nonetheless. When you finally dare tell people you are expecting, they act happy for you; in fairness, they probably are (unless, like in my case, the first baby you have is at the age of 17 and that is a whole different story). They don’t explain about the absolute shift in all things normal that will never be again.
Babies are delightful and enchanting. Being a mother is wonderful, but easy it is not. I have experienced many things in life: I’ve been a registered nurse for years, I finished graduate school and am now a Nurse Practitioner, I’m working on my doctorate, I’ve remodeled my house with my own hands…but all of those things are easier than being a mother.
It’s not the physical drain of day-to-day things that is so difficult. Let’s be honest, there are many mothers who work harder at being moms than others. I’ll admit, and my kids will confirm, I am one of the lazy moms. I can only dream and aspire to be one of those moms that cooks and bakes and sews and helps with all the homework and drives to soccer and baseball and gymnastics…and does it all with a perfectly pasted on smile. You know, movie moms. For those moms, my hat goes off to you, truly. But for the rest of us hacks, the difficulty lies in trying to keep everything together, trying to get through the daily temper tantrums, the dirty clothes, bathing, trying to get some semblance of nutrition down the gullet, getting daily exercise, dealing with bullying…and I’m not even talking about the kids yet.
To say that life changes forever once you become a parent is an understatement, at best. My mother often would chuckle when she advised me in just how much my life would change. I know now it did not matter how much she tried to “tell” me; I was not going to fully grasp the concept until I was living it. She did always say it wasn’t going to be easy, but it would definitely be worth it. I hate to say it, but momma was right.
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy in my experience. It’s why we get the greatest satisfaction when we accomplish the hardest tasks. It’s nice every now and then to get something for nothing, but those things are usually quickly forgotten. It’s the hardest things that really stick with us; truly mold us into who we are. My advice here is to take parenting with your eyes wide open, knowing the challenges along the path are going to seem never-ending and sometimes unbearable. However, time will pass and each challenge will strengthen you if you allow it to. Not everyone can be a great parent all the time, but we can certainly be good parents when we accept the challenges and realize there is a solution to each one. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.