Sometimes, it is hard to understand parents or what they go through unless you are a parent yourself. The truth is that there are some things that only make sense when you have children. When you become a mother, you start seeing things from a different perspective; now you have someone else to look after, and their needs take priority over your—that alone changes everything.
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Being a mom is one of the greatest experiences, but it also has many challenges. Here are 10 things only moms understand.
1. What being tired truly feels like.
No one, and I mean NO ONE, is as tired as a tired mom. If you have no kids and you stay up all weekend to get your parranda on then get up to go to work on Monday all cruda and tired, you're still not as tired as you would be if you were a tired mom.
2. The world is NOT family-friendly.
Supposedly "we" as a whole care about families, but not really. When you have kids, you realize that the world is quite hostile to children. Just try to nurse in public without a cover or take your kid who acts like a kid to a restaurant and count how many side eyes you get for making others uncomfortable when all you're trying to do is raise your kid the best way you know how.
3. 'Mommy brain' is real.
You've always prided yourself on your memory, then you have a kid and you can't even remember the one thing you went to the store to buy. It happens to all moms. And moms who think it hasn't happened to them just forgot it happened.
4. You live your life between loads of laundry.
The dirty laundry NEVER stops. It breeds while you try to sleep, it laughs at you behind your back, and it threatens to take over your life.
5. Everything reminds you of your kids.
Even when you take a much-needed break from your kids to run an errand, you'll be minding your own business trying to think about things you used to think about before being a mom and then a random puppy will look you straight in the eyes and you'll think, "That puppy's eyes look just like my baby's. Wait, did I just compare my baby to a dog?!" Sigh.
6. How much your mother really loves you.
You discover this profound love you have for your children and then realize that that's how your mother feels about you. It's pretty mind-blowing.
7. That sometimes, even taking a shower feels like a privilege.
It seems pretty easy to take a daily shower and then you have a kid and you have to fight for your right to shower because it's NOT guaranteed.
8. Everyone is someone's child.
Obviously you've always known everyone is someone's child, but it takes on this new meaning and immediacy when you have a child of your own. You'll look at an adult and think about how they were once a baby, you'll look at other children and know that they are just as special as yours. Everyone seems to matter a little bit more.
9. You have to teach culture.
If you want your children to know about your culture, you have to teach them about it through food, traditions, holidays, music and any other way you can think of. Do not expect your children to learn about your culture through someone else.
10. Manners really do matter.
All that sit up straight, no elbows on the table, say please and thank you stuff really does matter. You teach it to your children because you understand that a child with manners will have a head start in certain situations.
