BOOM Edition 3 August 2016 Issue | Page 36

PA R E N T I N G 15 Things to Know About The First Year of Parenthood I nitially, I thought I would write this article from the point of view of a 22-year-old female (me). I changed my mind for obvious reasons. This will be a serious piece. As serious as it will ever get, because becoming a parent should make you tremble a little. Parenting is no joke. It is a mountain of responsibilities and an avalanche of trouble. Your first year as a parent will be the most joyous time of your life as a couple, as well as reinforcing the existence of hell on earth. Although I myself am not a parent, I have very valuable advice to share with you which has been passed on from two mothers that I personally know. One is a close family member, and I have watched her morph from a young 24 year old woman into the courageous mother of an angel who is just over a year old. This angel is also now my goddaughter. Being a Godmother means that I parent her in some sense, which gives me experience and wisdom on motherhood that I otherwise would not have. During the first year of parenthood… 1. You will inevitably miss some moments. To start with the obvious. Despite the fact that you will be a parent for the rest of your life, as long as you live, you will be missing moments with your child and see everything as a milestone. You will want to re-live all these moments that have passed you by as your baby grows, but there are so many more exciting moments. Embrace it with everything you have and look forward to all of the future moments. 2. The child will drive you insane. In a good way! You will be smothered with new feelings of love and affection. This will be like falling in love all over again and you and your partner will be jealous of each other’s mutual obsession over this child you must share. 3. You will cry because you want to sleep. Take naps now, take naps when you don’t want naps, take naps when you should sleep/eat/drink. When you get sick of this regime, sit down and draft a new one with your partner. Make a routine with equal Mom and Dad responsibilities and a fair routine. That’s why you got married, after all. Anybody will tell you this isn’t going to be a one man job. 4. There will come a time when you just want to give up, and not necessarily see your baby as an angel. Not all agree, but most do. There will come a point when you will say “I am sick of this sh**.” Literally and metaphorically. This will not make you a bad parents, it’s 36 | BOOM