I miss the partner I married before children made her tired, stressed and irritable. We’re still together, still married, but our relationship has really suffered.
Life started getting better when my first kid turned 2… but we just had another baby, so now we’re back at square one with an even more frustrating and exhausting situation than we had with the first baby. Two kids means four times the hassle. Everything we do (or rather don’t do.. most of the time) has to fit around both kids now.
I don’t want to dwell entirely on the negatives though. Having kids is rejuvenating in many ways.
I love seeing the world through younger eyes. It’s freshened my perspective on life and made me less stuck in my ways. I think more about the future now.
It’s sweet seeing my own mum be maternal again (my dad couldn’t care less though, lol!)
And I look forward to having a family around me as I grow old.
Nothing in life has given me as much joy as being with my daughter and spending time with her. The first 18-24 months was challenging as we had to balance work with looking after her. But after that, being a parent is a gift that keeps on giving.