Life truly changes for a family with the entry of a baby. Along with loads of joy, enthusiasm and excitement, parenthood comes with responsibility, anxiety, challenges and tears. Priorities change and life is abuzz with activity. Babies become the center of the lives of parents. Parenthood is quite addictive, even though the child grows out of childhood, parents never grow out of parenthood. Here are few amazing surprises of parenthood.
1. Step into the world of friends
It is strange but true that parents find a lot of friends. Be it in the park, neighborhood, the boss, the shop keeper or the mothers at the church. Strangers smile at new mothers, ask if they need any help or make small conversations about the baby and share their personal experiences. Such friends and conversations help a new parent to develop unique parenting style which is right for the baby and the family.
2. Transition pangs from couple to parents
The new entrant in the family needs more attention and time and this keeps the mom away from her partner. The change in lifestyle keeps both the parents busy and finding time for each other becomes cumbersome day by day. This affects the relationship, since the partner may not understand and may feel dejected. Many parents struggle during the transition wondering how to fulfill both the roles, as a partner as well as a parent.
3. Transformation into a clown
The need to entertain, soothe and pacify a newborn makes a new parent giggle, make faces and do tons of other silly things. Babies do love such fun interactions and this helps to bond closer with the parent. They respond to such actions thus, building a strong foundation for communication. And interestingly, almost all the parents even with a not-so-great voice take an inclination to sing, simply to put a restless baby to sleep. Most parents derive immense satisfaction just to see their dear ones sleeping blissfully and take pains to learn few songs, rhymes and lullabies.
4. Money, money, money
Babies are expensive indeed. Right from birth, maintenance, education, food, clothing, childcare, housing and miscellaneous, on an average costs about $240,050 from birth until 18 years. This again depend on whether the family has single or dual parents/income and the geographical location of the family. Having babies does require enormous amount of financial planning.
5. Worry warts
Worrying becomes the second nature of all parents with the aspects related to safety, security, health and host of other child-centric issues. Sometimes, the parental instincts cause too much of anxiety that the parents are too paranoid for their children. Love and protection for their children keeps them habitually worried and anxious.
6. Sublime emotions
Giving birth to a child and raising him/her, imbibes nurturing qualities naturally in a parent. This develops deep love for the child that is pure and unconditional. This feeling catches a lot of parents by surprise, who have not experienced such feelings before.
7. Parental guilt
Parents want to give their best to the children both emotionally and materially. In the process, most of them often end up feeling guilty. They wonder if they are on the right track and feel responsible wholly for the child’s well-being. With the increased modern parenting challenges and limited time to spend with a child, parents often feel guilty.
8. Let go
Parents are deeply involved in taking care and protecting the child. They often feel surprised when the child is ready to leave the nest to lead a life of his/her own. Even though every parent feels proud for having helped the child to achieve important milestones, it is often difficult for parents to let go and give the child enough space to lead an independent life.
9. Time flies
Parents get busy the moment baby arrives and often they do not realize the amount of time spent in raising a little child into a responsible adult. This comes as a surprise to most of the parents when they have to acknowledge that their children have grown up as mature individuals.
10. Lifetime changes
Drastic changes occur in the life of a couple when they step into parenthood. New identity, lifestyle, emotional and physical changes often take parents by storm. This leaves them exhausted and restless during the first few weeks and it soon becomes a way of life.
