If there’s one thing that’s true about having a baby, it’s that becoming a mother or father changes things. Like your family, your routines, your social life… That’s right—nothing is the same once you suddenly have another person’s life in your hands. For parents, this idea is of course nothing new. But for others, and especially those who don’t themselves have children, understanding this simple fact can be a little more difficult. For them, let me say: parenthood is one of the easiest things in the world… when you’ve never experienced it. So for those of you who haven’t had children, I thought I’d let you know that certain things you say to those of us with parents are so annoying. What are they and how do they sound to me and other parents? Read on!
1. “I’m so tired today.”
Really? How many times were you woken by a baby last night? Did a 4-year-old come into your bedroom and cry because he heard the monster calling from inside the closet? No? I thought as much.
2. “I have so much to do; I never have any time.”
I promise, if you ever have children, you’ll wonder what you actually did with all of that free time.
3. “You don’t need more than six hours of sleep.”
Six hours? In a row? There are several reasons why those of us who have children are more tired than you. Not sleeping more than two hours at a time for three years is one of them. But by all means, enjoy your six hours.
4. “I know what you mean. I’ve got my dog”
Sure, having a pet can be a chore. But please don’t compare feeding and walking your dog to taking care of a baby 24 hours a day.
5. “Can’t you just get a babysitter?”
Absolutely. I’ll just call Linda, John, Mary, Andy or any of my other friends who would be more than happy to stay at home with my kids when they could be out doing something fun on a Saturday night. Especially with an hour’s notice…
6. “When I have children, I’m not going to let them…”
Watch TV? Eat candy? Play video games? Believe me, I’ve been where you are and have said the exact same things. And you know what? It didn’t turn out how I planned.
7. “Want to come over for a spontaneous little party?”
That’s funny! In my world, “spontaneous” means two or three weeks from now.
8. “You look a bit out of sorts. Are you sick?”
You wouldn’t look so amazingly refreshed if you had been up half the night with a kid who refused to stop shouting.
9. “Have you seen the last season of…”
No. You’ll have to excuse me for not being up to speed on the latest TV series, movies, or books. I’ve been a little busy taking care of a little guy who couldn’t survive without me.
10. “You used to party all the time.”
I know sitting at home on a Saturday night sounds boring to you. But it’s quite difficult to get into a nightclub with a stroller.
11. “It must be nice to stay home with the kids and take it easy all day.”
Yes, there’s really nothing to do at all. In addition to constantly cleaning every room in the apartment, there’s feeding the baby, changing diapers, washing clothes, changing diapers again, feeding the baby again, cleaning, feeding the baby again, playing… It’s a real holiday, actually…
Do you recognize yourself in these comments? Please share so maybe we can at least avoid some of these tiresome comments!
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