Even if you’ve spent years watching other women become mothers, there are things you need to know about being a mommy before becoming a parent yourself. Being a mommy can be the most rewarding, but also the most challenging experience you’ve ever had. Being a mommy means making a wide array of sometimes difficult decisions, gaining new knowledge at a rapid rate and finding within yourself an endless supply of energy. However, being a mommy also fills you with a deep sense of accomplishment, joy and love.
Some of the challenges and rewards of being a mommy are discussed below:
Working versus staying at home
One of the first decisions you’ll have to make about becoming a mommy is whether you will continue to work, or stay at home with your child full-time. There may be financial implications within this decision, but many mothers find that the emotional weight of the decision is far more difficult.
Financial adjustments
Regardless of whether you work or stay home, you will have to make financial adjustments when you become a mommy. Infants require an initial outlay of funds to prepare for their care with large purchases such as a crib, nursery furnishings, car seat or travel system and many other products. In addition, you’ll have the expense of either cloth or disposable diapers, formula or nursing supplies, clothing, toys and healthcare.
Healthcare
When you become a mommy, you have no guarantee that your child will be healthy. Having a child with health-related challenges can be exhausting and require you to navigate an unfamiliar path. Even healthy children will become ill at some time, so an additional challenge of motherhood is learning about childhood illnesses and how to comfort or cure during these times.
Facing your own shortcomings
As much as you learn to care for your child’s physical needs, there will be times when being a mommy causes you to face your own shortcomings in relation to their emotional or educational needs. For example, if you struggle with self-confidence, have particular fears or lack motivation in any area, you may find it difficult to overcome these issues so that you don’t influence your child’s way of thinking.
Influences of the world
In addition to the beliefs you want to teach your child, you’ll also have to combat outside influences on your child. Dealing with how to approach different world views, cultures and belief systems is another challenge of being a mommy.
Effect on your relationship
As much as you love your mate, being a mommy presents time constraints that didn’t used to be there. When you have a child, you have to become much more determined about carving out time for your mate lest the child’s needs overtake the entire relationship.
Joy that outweighs the challenges
Despite the many ways that being a mommy will change you and challenge you, most mothers find that the joy they feel over their child’s touch, words and accomplishments is the most deeply felt and fulfilling emotion they’ve ever experienced. Being a mommy is hard work, but the payment for that hard work is enjoying the innocence, wonder and unconditional love that is all part of childhood.
Hillarry is an Austin newborn photographer and when she’s not taking adorable little snapshots of newborns, she’s spending time with her family out on Lake Travis.