Now that most of you folks are all parents...

MamatoA2010

Is raising a child easier or harder than you perceived before you became a parent? For this mama, much much much harder!

MamatoA2010

Could not have said it better myself @bearsbearsbears! 100% agreement with your statement

theimpossibleastronaut

It's harder in ways I didn't expect I think.

theimpossibleastronaut

Also, love my DD tons and tons, so it's worth it, but parenting is definitely harder in some ways that I wasn't anticipating I guess.

meaglamillion

Harder, for sure.

MagickalNarwhal

pobrecita said:

So easy!!

Said no one, ever.

Someone on a local moms fb group posted a similar question the other day and one of the first responses was, "so much easier! I feel like I must just be a natural mom."

Barf.

Back on planet earth, yeah, harder.

SGC29

Harder. Also much much more tiring than I expected.

angelashly

Much harder.

MerkinMerv

Is it wrong I'm giggling at everyone starting their post with "harder"? 

BluepointToasted

i wouldn't call it easier than I thought exactly....more like I am not as put out as I thought I would be.  I thought DH and I were both going to have a much harder time dealing with the lifestyle change, but honestly I think we were both ready (after 14 years together, lol, we definitely didn't rush into it).  It's hard, but not as stressful as I anticipated.  Talk to me in a few years though.  Right now I have an easy going 14 month old.

theseaword

I'm not going to say easier. But I will say that I love it more than I thought I would, and love him more than I knew I could love. Cornball, I know.

MerkinMerv

I had a peak into parenthood with being a step-parent; however, I didn't realize the emotional toll it would take.  I am a stronger, more patient parent than I thought I would be, but it's definitely not easy.  

monkeybutt61612

I think it's more difficult on me mentally and emotionally than I expected. I am a naturally selfish person, so its been really hard to transition into a non-selfish mode

ASmallWonder

The newborn stage was much easier than I'd feared (not quite as easy the second time but being the second time I also had experience under my belt to even it out).  Now parenting a toddler/preschooler?  That's some crazy shit.  I think I do him a huge disservice because I flip flop between losing my ever loving shit on him and being the biggest pushover evar.

azzyberry

My perspective is a bit different because I have a child with special needs.  It's definitely been much more challenging than I ever thought possible and at times emotionally draining, BUT it's also been much more rewarding than I ever thought possible.  Best thing I ever did.

ShakeyJakey

I know I got lucky with a very easy going baby. But I know it won't always be that way. I love it more than I ever thought I could, like PP said.

Littledeer84

monkeybutt61612 said:

I think it's more difficult on me mentally and emotionally than I expected. I am a naturally selfish person, so its been really hard to transition into a non-selfish mode

This is me too. Being a parent has taught me so much about patience and selflessness. Obviously still learning, because everyday is a new challenge. She is the best, though.

LadyXaverian

SS? I came in to parenthood with it in my head that I had no damn clue what parenting was going to be like. I had no real expectations about parenting except that I figured I was about as well equipped as the next person to do it.

Everyone always said "it's harder than you think", but I didn't really "think" anything about how it would be. I believed them that it would be "so hard", but all my ideas about what parenting might be like were so abstract.

So I won't call it easier or harder, but I will say that there have been lots of surprises from how little sleep one can survive on to how huge my capacity for love is. 

Nechie122

The newborn and infant stage were MUCH harder than I anticipated (though ironically pregnancy was easier than I thought it would be.) The toddler stage is about what I was expecting.

Being a working mom is hard too. I mean, I love it on the good days, but sometimes I struggle with being pulled in two different directions. When I'm stressed about work, I struggle to be in the moment with DD and vice versa. And when the two come into conflict, I struggle with the miss-the-daycare-Thanksgiving-lunch vs. work-two-hours-late-to-compensate dilemmas.

ReeseFox

I don't remember. But considering I was 20 when I was pregnant with M, I probably thought I had it all figured out and it would be a breeze. Needless to say, that has not been the reality.

LaurelBee

Team harder, but more rewarding! But actually becoming a mom of 2 was easier than I anticipated. Dd is an angel

Drea926

The newborn stage was by far the most difficult. (So far!) I questioned every little decision I made regarding DS. Now that he's an older baby (9 months) it's much better. I don't even think that it's easier, I think I've just become more confident.

randomsalpal

So much harder and in such a different perspective.  Also, can't stand it when people who don't have children tell me how to parent my kids...sorrynotsorry, if that offended anyone!

thebanich

Definitely harder. I didn't expect to have to have medication to cope with daily life.

thebanich

I also didn't realize how much time I would spend worrying about poop. Too much poop, too little poop. The consistency of poop.



Shit.

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colliebabe

For me it was easier than I expected from about 3 months to 2 years. She was a pretty easy baby. Now that she is 2 I find it MUCH harder.  She is a crazy, crazy toddler.  I knew this was coming though - I was "just you waiting" myself the whole time.

robyn2201

Much, much harder but so rewarding. Newborn stage and infancy with DD1 was a breeze. But it's gotten harder as she has gotten older and entered the terrible 2's and 3's. Then add in a second kid, holy cow, I now understand why so many people stop with just two kids!!

SpaceGirlSpiff

I honestly didnt know WHAT to expect.. I had no real experience with kids prior to having my own, and you hear so many different things from many different people.... I was walking into it already nervous that I'd never know what I was doing because it seemed foreign.

I knew I'd be tired, especially in the beginning, and knew about all the responsibility, but I didnt know how much loving my child would hurt because of how strong that love is.... completely underestimated what the love feels like.  Underestimated how much I would love being a parent..... and yes, I think it's much harder than you can really plan for, at least in my opinion ...though every kid is different with his/her own set of challenges.  Mine is very high energy and there always seems to be a new surprise around the corner and something new to adapt to, but it's exciting and I wouldnt trade it for anything.

Mrs.V

It was as hard as I expected it to be for the newborn and baby stages. It is waaaaay harder than I expected for the preschool ages (I have an almost 5 year old DS and a 3 year old DS). The last few years have been hard!