If I could go back in time, these are the 7 things I wish I knew about parenting.
(It would have saved me a lot of wasted time and effort.)
1. You can't have nice things
I was given an old, beat up, solid oak table in college. My roommate and I refinished it and it was BEAUTIFUL. They don't make them like that anymore.
It became our family table when we got married.
All 3 of our kids have done serious damage to it...
2. One of your kids will probably be like you
If you have more than one child, most likely one of them will have a very similar personality to you.
You'll notice the things you don't like about yourself in them, and it will drive you crazy.
3. One of your kids will probably be like your spouse
If you have more than one child, most likely one of them will have a very similar personality to your spouse.
You'll notice the things that bother you about your spouse in them, and it will drive you crazy.
4. You will be constantly repeating yourself
Whether it's instructions, rules, wise counsel, or a math problem, your kids will never get it the first time.
Or the second, or third, or tenth, or hundredth.
Eventually they will get it. But it takes a lot...
5. Kids all develop differently
Our oldest was potty trained at 2 and a half. He could read Dr. Seuss books by himself at 3 and a half.
Child #2 and #3 weren't even close to that.
Conversely, our 8yo can school our 10yo in just about any sport or game. He seems to have figured out moving his body a lot faster than his big bro.
This is all totally normal.
6. You have to try a lot harder to be married
Date nights aren't as frequent, any conversation had during the day gets interrupted, and sex is much harder to make happen when you're exhausted all the time.
If you aren't intentional, your marriage will run away from you.
7. Having a family is 10x better than I thought it'd be
I always knew I wanted a family. Now that I have a wife and 3 kids, I'm tired all the time. The to-do list is never done. My hobbies pretty much went out the window. I'm always paying for things that feel unnecessary, but someone says they need. And on, and on...
There are a lot of things about being married and having kids that are tough.
But my heart is full.
I couldn't imagine my life without the 5 of us being together.