Parenthood requires a lot of responsibility and time. Understandably, there will be ups and downs, as well as a vast variety of surprises along the way! Regardless of how many books or how much research someone does on the topic, it’s best learning along the way. Parents will experience a lot of new moments as they guide their children to grow up, from first steps and first words to waving them off to high school. During pregnancy, there is a lot of prenatal care to consider, whereas having young kids will bring about different, exciting life events. The same idea applies to having teens or young adults, as families will experience something different at each stage. There will be days where parents won’t sleep at all, and other days when they will miss the lack of sleep because the kids have left the nest. It’s all part of what it means to be a parent!
During pregnancy
During pregnancy, the mother’s health is of utmost importance for the safe delivery of her baby. Pregnancy will bring with it a lot of emotional changes, as a mother’s hormones change and may cause mood swings. Frequent visits to the doctor, prenatal vitamins, exercise and a healthy diet, are all things the mothers must do during pregnancy. During the nine months, there will be many different symptoms. Unfortunately, it includes morning sickness for the mother and even the exciting (and sometimes painful) kicking of the baby later into the pregnancy. Nine months in, there are other 36 weeks pregnant symptoms. At 36 weeks, almost all of the baby’s organs have developed. Mothers will feel some excess pressure in the lower abdominal area as the baby drops towards the belly. At this point, the baby’s due date is very near!
Having young kids
During early parenthood, parents will be concerned with the sleeping, pooping and eating habits of their baby. This is a time when the parents will be changing a lot of diapers, and baby bottles, strollers, and baby toys will overrun the house! There will be a lot of rewarding moments when kids learn to say their first word, learn to walk, and so on. As kids grow and near kindergarten age, they’ll start to expand their vocabulary to the point that they can talk to their parents. Parents will act as teachers for their kids before they enter the school system, teaching them how to go to the bathroom and how to eat on their own.
When it comes to raising happy kids, there are a variety of ways that parents can do this. The first step is that the parents must be happy themselves. It’s natural that the parent’s moods will affect their children. After all, one’s mood tends to affect their surroundings and the people or kids they talk to, and it means that parents can teach kids about relationships through kindness. Parents can help avoid a moody teenager by educating young kids about optimism. Is the glass half full or half empty? Parents can mentor their kids from a young age about looking on the bright side of any situation. Encourage playtime, both as a family and between a child and their friends. All of these factors can help parents raise happy kids. All in all, families should spend time together, laugh together and do activities together.
Having teenagers
Teenagers tend to get a bad reputation, especially thanks to Hollywood movies. In movies, teens are often depicted as rebellious groups of kids. However, there are a variety of mistakes parents can make when raising teens. For starters, parents shouldn’t expect the worst. Don’t expect negative things from your teen, as it can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, no amount of books or research can fully prepare a parent to be a parent. It’s all about learning along the way, and knowing when to intervene. Don’t ignore the big problems in your teen’s life and don’t focus on the small issues. If your teenager is involved with the wrong crowds and taking drugs, do not turn a blind eye. It’s important for parents to find their balance between rules and freedom. Your teenager’s fashion choice, for instance, isn’t the biggest deal in the world. As parents, learn how to raise your teenager one day at a time. Make time for your teen because before parents know it, the kids will be out of the nest.
Young Adults
There will come the point when the child is no longer a child. Rather, the kids are young adults. With high school graduation out of the way, college is around the corner. With this, many young adults are leaving home to live on their school campus. Once they graduate college, they will look for a career, and they too will be starting their own families, thus starting the cycle again. How do parents feel when their kids are grown up? There is a whirlwind of emotions! When kids are grown up, parents will feel nostalgic when walking past their kid’s rooms. Parents will miss the times when their kids were little, when they were scared of thunder and snuck into bed with them. As a parent, you can imagine what the future will be like without kids and remember to live in the present. Parents must make the most of their time with the kids, as the years will go by and they won’t remain a kid forever. Thus, family time is incredibly important.
Time doesn’t wait for anyone. The minutes, days and weeks will turn into years. Thus, it’s important for parents to spend time with their kids and take everything one day at a time. People cannot learn how to be parents in a book. While a book may give you some tips, being a parent means something different for everyone. It depends on a parent’s child, personalities, and so on. As time passes, it’s important for parents to realize that every stage of having children will have its highs and lows. Everything put together is what makes parenthood special. It’s not something any parent should fast forward since kids grow up in the blink of an eye, regardless.