I just finished writing a paper for my PSY 230 class about the transition into parenthood and thought you all might want to read it.
Transition Into Parenthood
The transition into parenthood is the single hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever accomplished. I am a very young mother by today’s standards. I am 22 years old. I was 21 when my daughter Ainsleigh was born. It was the best and scariest day of my life.
There are many hard things about parenting. I am a single mother. Ainsleigh’s father is still in her life but not as much as when we were married. I am pretty much on my own there. We live with my parents, which makes the financial strain much easier to bear. When Ainsleigh was born I knew it would be hard but I was not prepared for all the changes. At 21 I pictured myself going out and partying and taking college courses and playing collegiate lacrosse. Instead I was changing diapers, waking up 4 times a night and co sleeping.
The hardest thing in my opinion no matter what age you become a parent is adjusting to the fact that everything you do impacts this tiny person and from here on out they come first over everything. My daughter only sees her father about once a week so when she gets home from his house she stays awake most of the night to see me because she has been away from me all day and that is not the norm for her. She doesn’t care what I did all day or that I am tired all she wants is her mommy to read her another book or play peek a boo one more time. I may be exhausted but I will pull her into my bed and read to her and play games until she gets sleepy and then I put her to bed.
Another thing that is hard to get used to is having no “you” time. Since Ainsleigh started walking I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself. She wants to spend every single second she is awake with me because I am her favorite person. She even wants to shower with me.
Lastly it is hard because nothing is just yours anymore. I still co-sleep so Ainsleigh sleeps in my bed. She eats table food so even is she has the exact same thing she wants to eat off my plate and drink out of my cup. Since she started walking she is in everything all the time. I have no personal space at all. Sometimes she still wants me to wear her, I am an Attachment Parent, which is getting hard as
she weights 21 lbs now. I would say that transitioning into
parenthood is hard and it isn’t always fun but it is very rewarding.
What is rewarding
about parenting is when Ainsleigh said “Momma!” for the first time, or how she
thinks yelling “PWEASE MOMMA” gets her anything she wants. We are working on
manners. She doesn’t get that screaming please isn’t the same as asking nicely
but at least she says it.
When she wakes up
in the morning she cuddles up next to me and pats my face and babbles at me
until I wake up. She slobbers on
my face and yells “mwha” really loud. That is her version of kisses.
While parenting
can be very hard it is worth all of the late nights, wake ups, and diaper
changes when your child hugs you and kisses you and tells you they love you.
