being a mom
The Secret No New Mom Will Tell You: Babies Are Boring
I think my main problem was that I was expecting something to happen. I don’t know what this “something” was, but I just thought I was missing something and was supposed to be over the moon about this new baby that couldn’t sit up, coo, or even make eye contact.
Now that the toddler years are upon us, they’re definitely challenging, but I like them so much better. I remember when my first son hit his one-year birthday, and my husband and I looked at each other and were like, “Hey, this isn’t so bad! He’s walking around, waving, and smiling on command. Maybe we’ll keep him!”
I kid, I kid, but seriously—it took me almost a full year to feel like parenting wasn’t a total brain drain. Within that first year, there were definitely moments that I cherished and loved, but there were many, many times where I was counting the minutes until bedtime. Unfortunately, no one tells you that during your prenatal checkups, on the BabyCenter birth boards, and certainly not on Facebook or Instagram.
Maybe I’m the only new mom that made the mistake of comparing my super boring life to Internet reality, but I really had no clue that babies weren’t that enjoyable! By the time my second son came around, I was fully prepared for major downtime and a whole lotta nothing, unless you counted round-the-clock diaper changes.
If you’re pulling your hair out with boredom as you nurse your newborn in the middle of the night, know that you’re not alone. (And hopefully you have a smartphone to keep you company!) The bright side is that the early, floppy years pass so much faster than you think—and, no, I’m not going to tell you to “enjoy it while it lasts.”
The boring times are oh-so-boring, but they are short lived. Just remember these words of comfort the next time you pass your baby a teething ring and wipe drool off his slobbery chin for the ninth time in a row. It does get better.
(photo:Â Getty Images)
