Does Motherhood Get Easier? Here’s My Take On It.
Does motherhood get easier? Is motherhood worth it? I have asked myself those very questions many times since my motherhood journey began over five years ago. On the glider in my daughter’s nursery, feeling physically exhausted and mentally drained trying to get my then-newborn back to sleep in the middle of the night. Almost two years ago, on the bathroom floor, trying to potty train my very stubborn daughter so she could go to preschool that September. Two days ago, standing in my kitchen, trying to cook dinner, when I asked my five year old to stop bothering her younger sister repeatedly and she kept ignoring me. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Does motherhood get easier? No, it doesn’t.
Are you kidding? Motherhood does not get easier! That newborn you are rocking in the middle of the night will soon become a walking toddler who you have to keep from wreaking havoc in the house. You will have just finished cleaning up the playroom and then the floor will be covered in toys for you to pick up yet again. You can try getting your toddler to help, but good luck with that! That toddler will be talking too. Hearing “MOMMY!” one more time will make you feel like your head is going to explode.
You will then have to potty train that toddler so he or she can attend preschool. Potty training is not for the faint of heart. Your child will refuse to sit on the potty. You will have to bribe with snacks or a new toy. There will be accidents and many outfit changes during the day. More outfits means more laundry! You will have to do a naked potty training method if nothing else works. That finally did the trick for my daughter.
That preschooler will soon be off to kindergarten which is the stage I’m at with my oldest daughter. How will I manage my job and help my daughter with her homework? She made some nice friends in preschool but they will be going to a different elementary school. Will she make new friends? Will she keep up with her preschool friends? Will she adjust well to a new school? Will I make new mom friends?
After kindergarten there is the rest of elementary school, middle school, and high school. You will be worrying about grades, peer pressure, driving, dating, colleges. I have an aunt who likes to say that when kids are little you have little problems, but then kids get bigger and you have big problems. So no, motherhood does not get easier.
Does motherhood get easier? Yes it does.
But wait, in some ways motherhood does get easier. That newborn you are rocking every few hours will eventually start sleeping through the night. You will get six, seven, maybe even eight hours of sleep. You will not need caffeine every couple of hours to keep yourself going. You will have the energy to shower and wear your hair in a style other than a messy mom bun. You will feel like a new person.
Your baby will start eating real food. You will not have to worry about packing breast milk or formula in bottles when leaving the house. You will get to experiment with new foods. Those pouches are so easy to pack! Eventually your child will even order off the kids menu. You will just have to pack a bag with some snacks when you leave the house.
Your now talking toddler may say “Mommy” every few minutes but you will not have to guess if that toddler is wet, tired, hungry, or bored. Your toddler will say what he or she wants! Toddlers say the cutest things and have such funny pronunciations. My daughter would say “pinkt” instead of “pink”. A talking toddler will give you many laughs when you need it.
Your preschooler will be much easier to take around. No more worrying about carrying diapers, or whether the public restroom has a changing table. He or she will also become more of a companion to you. I love when my daughter gets so excited to tell me about her day at school with her friends.
Your child will learn to read, and will eventually take up a sport, a musical instrument, art, or many other potential activities. He or she will grow up and you will hopefully have a friend for life.
Maybe, maybe not. But you will figure it out.
Does motherhood ever get easier? That newborn that made me sleep deprived over five years ago will be off to kindergarten in the fall. I’ve been through many hard phases as a mother but I’ve also had many easy ones too. Motherhood does get easier, until it gets harder again, and vice versa.
One thing I know for sure is that you will figure it out and you will get through it. You will find a routine that works for you until you need a new routine. You will get more confidence as a mother. You will eventually get more time to try some self-care tips for busy moms. The worries do not go away, but you will see your hard work paying off in the wonderful son or daughter that you are raising. It will get better. I promise you that.
Such a great read
Thank you!