Today I am excited to be introducing you to the lovely Tarana from Sand In My Toes.
Like every first-time mother, I was completely caught unawares when the life of a beautiful human being became my primary responsibility. Over two years, I have realised that I am a very different person from I was before. In fact, I may have completely changed. It’s hard to tell because I haven’t asked anyone, or had the time to think so much about myself!
One of the ways motherhood has transformed me is that I have come to appreciate things that I never gave a second thought to. I am grateful to my son for making me value what is often overlooked in everyday life. Here are a few of those things:
Rest: I’m not talking about sleep (why even bother?). I’m talking about rest which involves putting my feet up and reading a magazine or a book with a cup of tea. It’s funny that, earlier, I thought ‘rest’ was something only old people did. Now, I would grab any chance to do it over going out for dinner, or even shopping. I really need the downtime after chasing an energetic toddler all day!
Time: I should have been the most productive person on earth before I became a mom! I had all the time in the world, and the freedom to do what I wanted. Why didn’t I become a millionaire or something? Because now, I can squeeze more household tasks in two hours than I did in a whole day at work. Yes, I plan every minute to make sure everything important gets done, and even then, I am up late into the night catching up. If there’s one wish I could be granted, I’d probably ask for an extra hour!
Patience: I may have been a little unreasonable earlier about how quickly I expected things to happen. I think the first lesson in patience is pregnancy! It takes its time, and there’s nothing you can do about it. The thing with children is that they take their time with everything, and as a parent, you come to accept and appreciate it. In fact, sometimes you wish for time to slow down so they don’t grow up too fast!
Health: I never gave a second thought to the food I ate or even the chemicals I was exposed to. Now, I research the possible harmful effect of every little thing printed on a food label. I don’t just worry about what my son is eating, but what I am eating too. For the first time in my life, I’m concerned about leading a healthy lifestyle for the sake of my family.
Space: When did my house shrink? My ‘minimalist’ decor is anything but that now, with an assortment of toys on every square foot of the living room. No matter how clean it looks, I always find a block or a piece of crayon hidden somewhere. I’ve just tell myself that this is how every house with kids looks like (right?).
Memory: There was a time when I could discuss everything about anything. Now, I may have to think twice about what day it is! My memory has failed me as a mom, and now I wonder whether I was a genius to begin with, or have lost too many grey cells. It’s only with the aid of written notes that I manage to get things done on a daily basis, so I value whatever I have left of my mental abilities!
More than anything, I now value the opportunity given to me to be a mother. It’s a big responsibility, but is also an endless source of joy every single day.
What do you value more since becoming a parent?
Tarana Khan is mom to a toddler. She loves writing and has done her stints as a copywriter, reporter and content editor, before embracing parenthood full time. Tarana blogs at Sand In My Toes, where you can drop by to read more of her parenting and other adventures! You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Google+.
All this week, I’m hosting a linky of cheerfulness! You can read about the idea here. If you’d like to join in with any cheerful, happy, funny, silly, magical or inspirational posts to brighten up this rather miserable February, please do and I will share them to spread a little cheerfulness :)
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So honoured to be published here, thank you!
Thank you so much for writing :) Pleasure to have you!
What a great guest post. So lovely to read. Thank you both for sharing that. I feel like I can relate to all of this in so many ways, I bet we all can. Life changes in a second but completely!
It does, doesn’t it?!
Glad you could relate to it, Jenny!
I’ve always thought it incredible how your mind changes when you have kids. Lovely post, thanks for the reminder – nothing really changes even as they get older!
It still surprises me sometimes! I can certainly relate to these six things :)
Thank you, Izzie!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes! I did a whole lot of head nodding reading this. And nothing tests your patience more than watching your 4 year old pour her own cereal.
It’s all so true isn’t it?!
That list of patience tests is endless! Glad you related to this :)