9 Ways Being a Parent Changes You Forever

It’s hard, but endlessly rewarding

Photo by JoEllen Moths from Pexels

Before having kids, I didn’t understand parents at all. They struck me as another species. They left events early, or skipped them altogether. They could never just grab coffee or a drink. They clogged up my social media with their boring family photos.

Now it all makes perfect sense.

You have to be a parent for a while before you understand how it changes you. One day you’re chasing a toddler around the house with a snot rag, then you stop and go, “Wow, this isn’t what I used to do on Saturday mornings.” Your life has evolved, in more ways than you know.

It’s easy to focus on the challenges and sacrifices. But those come with hidden bonuses, if you think about them the right way.

1. You rediscover what intimacy means

Caring for a small human is flat out exhausting, especially after they become mobile. You just don’t feel like getting freaky after you’ve spent all day handling other kinds of bodily fluids.

This is normal.

You don’t realize how much emotional energy sex requires until you’ve got someone else in your life absorbing most of it. You never felt the weight of all that time you spent making yourself look…