Things No One Told Me & Things I Never Thought I'd Do

Becoming a parent is an exciting, joyous, overwhelming, terrifying, and anxious experience. Or so I have heard. Though I have cared for children through several jobs, I have yet to become a parent. So, I have enlisted the help of several seasoned professionals for this piece. Today, we are discussing the adventure of parenthood through the lenses of mothers at various stages in the journey!

Here are the things that no one tells you about being a parent, and the things you never imagined you would do as a parent!

“I didn’t receive much advice before becoming a mom, most of raising my children was trial and error! My mom once told me to be careful about punishing my children after I grounded one of them. She said by grounding them, I was basically grounding myself! She was right. Longest week ever!”
-Lorna, mother of two grown children

“No one told me how much my children would teach me about relationships. Before I became a mom, I never realized how much I would intensely and instantly love them the second they were born. This love taught me more about God’s love, and the love I have for my husband. Children taught us to manage our changed relationship and challenged us to make each other a priority. Being a mom has also taught me about my relationship with myself. I never realized that I would have to “re-discover” myself once they were semi-independent. The truth is, parenting never gets easier, the challenges just change.

On a lighter note, there have been several things I never thought I would do, but motherhood has pressed the issue. I never thought I would sit by idly while my two-year-old daughters played in a mud pile at the park (also never imagined taking pictures to document the moment)! Using my children’s first and middle names to communicate that I meant business is a technique I never thought I would need, and finally, I never dreamt I would cut up hot dogs for a tank full of crayfish!”
-Mel, mother of two sets of identical twins (ages five and eight)

“I never thought I would be the parent who packs anything and everything before leaving the house, but I totally am!”
-Bethany, mother of two-month-old

“You never stop worrying about your children, even when they leave your house. Your heart is always with them, and it will break with every trial they encounter. No one tells you how challenging it will be to endure these heartbreaks.”
-Carol, mother of two grown children
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“I remember thinking, ‘I would never do/say that with my kids.’ Oh how ignorant and high and mighty you can be when you’ve never been a parent. You can plan how you want things to go in your life as a parent, but life can really get in the way... things can very suddenly take an unexpected turn, but it’s important to stay in God’s word and go with the flow as long as it doesn’t compromise your faith.”
-Sarah, mother of four children (ages one, three, five & eight)