5 ways a baby changes your life
June 19th, 2008 / 6 Comments
A friend who doesn’t have kids said today, “I am going to make sure that when I have kids, it’ll be when I am ready and really want them.”
I thought I was ready when I was 29 and had my first child. Yet, being a parent so changed my life beyond what I could’ve imagined.
Do not think of a baby as an addition to your life. Be ready to change your entire life and perspective about life when you have a baby.
Here are just 5 ways a baby upsets your life within the first year:
1. Your spending habits will be totally changed. Instead of shopping for yourself, you buy diapers, bibs, cleaning wipes… Instead of saving up for a new car, you’ll be saving up for college. Instead of purchasing dry clean only clothes, pick machine washables only.
2. The way you choose to spend your time will be totally changed. Going out to a fancy restaurants and movies? You’ll be more content with take out food and and a rented movie to have more time at home. Staying out late at night with friends? Your priority will be getting to bed by 9pm. When I had kids, my brother said to me, “You’re no fun anymore.” He was right. And he was no fun anymore either after he had kids.
3. The risks you are willing to take will be totally changed. As Chris says, “Your days of throwing cautionĂ‚Â to the wind and your que sera sera attitude is over. When you become a parent, you become a caretaker of life or lives as in my case. Therefore, your selfish ways have to end and your selfless acts begin.” My husband was smart to have tried skydiving before we got married! Get those things out of your system before having kids, please.
4. The boring activities take on a totally new excitement. Birthday parties are fun again when shared with your baby. The merry go round is a thrill ride. You can spend hours laughing with your baby over balloons and bubbles.
5. The way your heart feels will be totally changed. You will have new sensations in your heart that you’ve never had before. Your heart wells up and feels like it’s going to burst and come out whenever you just look at your baby. It’s an aching sensation, yet it’s feel pleasant. All of a sudden, everything is right with the world.
Are you really ready for this adventure?
Photo by shutter.chick
Comments
You hit the nail right on the head…Thanks for the link.
Too true. I wish I was smart enough to try bungee jumping and skydiving BEFORE having kids. Now Hubz says I have to wait until the nest is empty.
(sigh) I’m afraid I won’t have the courage to try it by then!!
Dette: No, no, no, our best years are ahead!
Chris: Your insights into parenthood are great.
I totally agree that it is a big change! I waited until I was really ready. So all those changes were exactly what I wanted. It is so nice to have children. – Life is very different, but wonderful!!!
I was told having a baby is like falling in love all over again. That was so true with both of my babies! It is such an amazing feeling!
Nancy: haha, it is like falling in love. I hadn’t thought of it that way.
[…] No matter if you have one child or several children your life will (or at least it SHOULD) change. You now have a tiny new little person depending totally on you to sustain it. You are raising the […]
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