The Meaning of Parenthood: The Good, The Bad, and the Incredible
Guest Post by: Holly Cieslinski
Andrew & I were reflecting on how everyone says having a baby “is so hard but worth it”.
It’s an accurate statement but what does that even mean?
We prepare so much for the baby postpartum. We read all the books, ask all the questions about how to support your baby but I think the missing piece is preparing for what you (mom and dad) will experience. So, what does ”it’s hard, but worth it” mean? It means, you are going to be exhausted when you are up every hour in the night, but you will forget how tired you are when your little one smiles up at you in the morning as if you are the greatest thing he has ever seen.
It means your childhood traumas and wounds will be triggered in ways you never imagined but you will learn a lot about yourself and grow so much. It means you will be so incredibly frustrated with your partner if there ever feels like an imbalance of the workload but will lovingly watch in awe as they grow and flourish into their role as a parent. It means you will get so angry when things don’t go right and then you will feel guilty for that anger but will learn to give yourself grace and forgiveness.
Being a parent is tough, but it’s so rewarding and beautiful and messy and exhausting and all the other descriptors.
It means you will struggle to establish boundaries that make you feel safe and make you feel like your little one is safe, but you will find your voice in a whole new way.
It means you will want so desperately to get even a minute to yourself and then once you do, you immediately miss your little one and find yourself back by their side. It means you will question whether you are doing things right, every single day, but you will know you are when your little one instantly calms when you pick him up. You are his safe space.
It means you won’t recognize yourself at points. You might even wonder who you are in this new role, but you find yourself and you realize this new life is better than anything you ever imagined.
Being a parent is tough but it’s so rewarding and beautiful and messy and exhausting and all the other descriptors. It’s hard, but it’s worth it.