Parenting Contradictions

I don’t know about you guys but I find parenting offers way too many contradictions. For example:

  • You spend the whole day wishing your newborn would fall asleep and then when they do, you miss them.
  • You can’t wait for your baby to grow out of whatever nightmare phase is plaguing you at the moment and then you feel sad that they’re growing up so fast.
  • You spend weeks desperately looking forward to Date Night and then spend the whole evening either checking on the baby or talking about the baby.

babysitter messages

  • One website tells you Cry it Out will scar your children for life. Another tells you co-sleeping will. Same for vaccinations, fluoride, weaning, schooling and pretty much any important parenting decision you need to make.
  • Your baby loves to eat banana. Except when he doesn’t.
  • Your baby always sleeps at 9am. Except for the day when you need him to, then he’ll sleep at 8.
  • Your baby always sleeps for less than one hour and a half. Except when you’re waiting to go somewhere. Then he’ll sleep for two or more.
  • Your baby always goes to sleep without crying. Except when you have people round. Then he wails for ages.
  • They drive you up the wall and you fondly remember life before kids. Then they do something, your heart melts and you can’t imagine life without them.

too much weighttoo little weight

Seriously. Seriously? No wonder this gig is so stressful!

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31 thoughts on “Parenting Contradictions

  1. Hehe very true. 🙂
    I think the best thing to do is to just roll with it and be there for them when they need it, because “this too shall pass”. 🙂

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      • Hehe. I can imagine. I take comfort from the fact that no child is the same (I have 3) and they often like different things, so every time I have had to find a “new” thing that works. haha
        But what does go hand in hand is that they have all taken comfort from feeding and rocking and singing to sleep. 🙂
        Though at the moment naming “all the animalz” is a big hit…that and travelling to the moon…. haha

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        • The tot liked being rocked to sleep too. For the next pregnancy I’m going to lift some weights before hand. My limp noodle arms weren’t cut out for bouncing his newborn 9 lb around for hours on end.

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  2. So accurate! I was just thinking of this the other day when I was tired and fed up and needing a moment to myself and asked my husbandfriend to take our son out. The minute the stroller went through the back gate I missed him and felt at odds! Amazing how these little people make us feel 100 emotions a day! #brilliantblogposts

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  3. Fabulous! I parent by contradiction, seriously. And I swear my son KNOWS when I need him to have a short nap as we have plans, he can’t be woken for love nor money. Yet when I could do with him having a decent stretch…!

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  4. This is so funny and so true! The contrary and absurd nature of our smalls makes us all contrary and absurd! I do enjoy your take on things…

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  5. This is so true! My son is 22, soon to be 23, and he is so exasperating to me, so I want him to move, then he is gone overnight at a friends and I can’t wait to see his face again. it never ends!!!

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    • Haha! So true. My parents told me they tried really hard to teach me to talk but then when my brother came along they were like ‘No! Don’t speak to him!’. I have no doubt that, as a child, I took annoying to whole new heights.

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