New parents reveal the 3 hardest things about the first year with a baby
Do you agree?
We're guessing Mother Nature was being pretty sensible when she decided pregnancy should last 9 long months - plenty of time not only to grow your wee bubba, but also to get used to the fact that soon you'd have a new little life in your home, right?
But while you'd think this time would help couples wrap their heads around the concept of having a baby in tow, and the changes that will come with it - turn outs lots of new parents find it pretty hard getting used to the new way of life a little one brings with it.
And the hardest bits about being a parent are...
And there are 3 things in particular it seems are toughest of all. Can you guess what they are?
According to a survey of 1,500 new mums and dads by Little Tikes, the bits about having a baby that wear us down the most are:
- the constant tidying up (25%)
- the sleepless nights (22%)
- the bedtime battles (14%).
Here at MFM we're quite surprised that it was the tidying issue that made the top grievance slot - as the survey focuses on the first year of parenting we're guessing they mean clearing away all the baby stuff - wet wipes, Sudocrem, bottles, muslins, Moses basket, etc.
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But - for lots of us - that gets a whole heap worse once our kids are old enough to get into toys (they tend to accumulate as the years go on) and, little by little, you find your lounge becomes a playroom/dumping ground for every play thing under the sun. ?
The sleep thing we definitely get though - after all, everyone feels better after a good night's zzzzs - and they become few and far between when you've got a tot ?
And the good news is...
Of course being a new parent isn't all hardship - those who took the survey revealed they loved watching their child laugh and learn something new - as well as looking forward to all the snuggles and cuddles they got.
Awwwwww ?
What do you think?
What have you found hardest about becoming a parent? Is it what you expected? Tell us over on Facebook
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Authors
Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015
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