Whether you’re having your first baby or you’ve done this before, so much changes in your life when you bring a baby home. Babies bring so much joy – but they’re also tiny agents of chaos that throw everything off balance. Here’s some things that change when you bring a baby home.
Not all these changes will happen for everyone, but they definitely are pretty common. I find that you notice it more after the first baby, but that doesn’t mean you don’t see these changes with each kid. Especially if you have wide age gaps between siblings.
These Are the Top Things That Change When You Bring Home a New Baby
Your Priorities Change Immediately
Everyone says that babies take a lot of responsibility, but no one talks about how easy it is to shift your priorities to a more responsible life. Once you have someone else to look after your priorities shift to the baby’s needs rather than your own. And that’s OK with most parents.
You See Your Partner Differently
Whether you’re reading this from the masculine or feminine side of things, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to feel differently towards your partner regardless. Some will be good (like seeing them with your new baby), but you may also be short tempered with them. Usually that’s just the lack of sleep, though.
Sleep deprived bickering aside, having a baby and raising it together changes a relationship and connects you in a different way.
How You Feel About Sleep Changes
Speaking of sleep, babies really mess that up. You’ll find yourself in the early weeks of parenting realizing that sleep is something you see in a whole new way. First of all, you start to value it a lot more. There may not always be time to make it up like you did before the baby! Second, getting enough becomes that much more important.
Your Life Has a New Purpose
Everyone has different things that drive them in life but as soon as you have a baby that purpose changes to caring for your family. All of a sudden that little being becomes a huge source of motivation and drive for most parents. Whether that translates to extra energy to prep the nursery or earning more money at work, babies can be big motivators to get stuff done.
You’ll Find a New Kind of Happy
Happiness can be so many things, but there isn’t anything quite like the joy of having kids (if you want them). While you might not be able to do all the things that you used to enjoy, you might not miss them as much either. That’s because babies give parents a different kind of happiness, and one that isn’t like anything else.
Standards Get Shifted
Before having a baby we usually have good routines going on for cleaning and house maintenance. Once the baby’s born all that goes out the window, and so do your standards. Things will eventually get back to normal, but until then – there really is such thing as good enough.
You Change How You Spend Your Time
Nights of babies crying for hours are exhausting, but when things are calm most parents really do enjoy spending time with their kids. Where before you could do more of what you wanted, after you bring a baby home there’s a lot less time for hobbies. Yet somehow we manage to actually enjoy and want to spend hours in the rocking chair at the end of the day.
Everything is New Again
Babies are full of firsts. First smile, first steps, first trip to the zoo. All of a sudden all these things become new to you again, too. The first time you take your toddler to the park is a momentous occasion. And don’t even get me started on how good it feels to see regular things through a child’s eyes once again.
That’s why I love taking small kids to Disneyland.
You Feel Younger
Everyone says kids keep you young, and it’s true. If you’re planning on having kids later in life this is more noticeable, but kids need a lot of energy at every age. You’ll find yourself more physically active (always moving around, chasing a toddler, cleaning, getting on the floor, etc.), but also more willing to do “kid” stuff with your small children.
Having kids also, at least in some ways, lets your relive parts of your own childhood. Especially when you share stuff that you enjoyed with your baby.
There’s a New Kind of Love in the Air
If you had your baby with someone you love you already know what love is. Even if you didn’t, you probably love family and friends quite a bit. But there is nothing like the bond you create between you and your children. Caring for a baby from the early days of life is something really special.
Most new parents, including myself, are blown away with just how much they love the tiny human they bring home.
0 Comments