What has surprised you the most when it comes to raising a baby/child?
Scott Schechter
You don’t always see the fruit of your labor in the beginning. And that’s okay. It keeps getting better.
Anonymous
Raising kids doesn’t get easier with time, the challenges just get different. But every minute is worth it.
Anonymous
How differently you view/consider/process everything (literally EVERYthing). The baby is the most important thing and is at the helm of every major decision you make. I knew that would be the case, rationally, but feeling it is somehow different.
Anonymous
Raising a baby is a full-time job itself and probably worse given there is no weekend or holiday. But, the little one's smile makes it all worth it in the end.
Cecily Pulver
How exhausting everything is. Even when they're still in the "potato stage," the amount of mental and physical energy needed to keep a small human alive is constant and surprisingly taxing. 3000% worth it though. Also, the sheer volume of bodily excretions.
Anonymous
You and your partner’s entire life revolves around this new being! It’s hectic, tiring, exciting, scary, and an absolute blast.
Erin B.
I am not a parent to a living child, but I recently had to terminate a pregnancy due to medical issues with the baby. What most surprised me was how many things have to go 100% right to end up with a healthy, living child. We don't see the stories of people who terminate pregnancies, or have multiple miscarriages, or choose not to continue trying when they have had no luck, but there are more stories out there than you realize. Find a community of people who understand your grief and can support you no matter what.
What has been the hardest thing about being a parent?
Anonymous
Learning to let go. Sometimes, doing nothing (ie. letting the dirty laundry pile up or letting the baby cry it out during sleep training) is the hardest thing.
Anonymous
Constant interruptions!
Cecily Pulver
The level of responsibility you undertake. Suddenly the health and well-being of a human are entirely up to you. You have to undertake a series of decisions each day that determine how they interact with the world and shape the kind of person they may become. It's daunting but incredibly rewarding.
Anonymous
No help unless you pay for it.
Anonymous
Lack of sleep is no joke. If the new baby isn’t keeping you up, your own brain will betray you and keep you awake when you know you ought to be sleeping.
Erin B.
Losing a child is one of the hardest forms of grief. Find people who understand, empathize, and support you. You will hold onto your grief forever, but it does get a little easier over time.