Parenting comes with a lot of surprises. Of course, there is the initial shock of “Oh wow, we’re going to be parents,” but that is somewhat minor compared to the learning curve that follows. Nate is only two and a half, but my list of things that surprised me silly about parenting keeps growing.
Parenting is Witnessing a Miracle
When Nate was an infant, I was amazed that one day he could sit up when it wasn’t possible 24 hours earlier. I remember the relief when I realized I didn’t have to teach him to sit or stand or walk. He just did it! Two years later, I have to teach him numbers and letters, but with a little instruction and a few repetitions, he grasps the concept easily. The miracle of learning is truly magnified when you see a tiny newborn become a conversant toddler. Even if he forgets the number four or puts his letters out of order in a song, he’s learning and I had very little to do with it.
Parenting is a Lot of Work
The words work and parenting seem somewhat synonymous, I know, but again and again, I’m surprised at how many flights of stairs a two-year-old requires. There’s the “I need some water!” stair climbing, the “Mommy, I hurt my leg,” stair climbing, and the worrisome check-in stair climbing. Then there’s the small things that never occurred to me about children. For example, their fingernails grow very fast and to avoid scratching, require frequent trimmings. This sounds easy enough, but it’s really as pleasant as World War III. Nate also seems to have this special ability to smear dirt on himself when I’m not looking - I’m always washing his face!
Parenting is a Lot of Fun
I love that despite the work, I catch myself having way more fun than I thought possible. Toddlers are hilarious. Just this week, Nate tried to convince me that Grandma kept an octopus in her refrigerator. I laughed at him, but eventually realized that his pronunciation for octopus is the same as applesauce - the thing that she keeps in her fridge. I think that wins the Strangest Conversation Ever Award. Having a child is permission to do something silly: have popcorn for dinner, watch Disney movies a million times and still laugh, or exhaust yourselves at the bounce house. I can’t think of many things I love more than a toddler tickle fight. He doesn’t have a belly laugh; his whole body jiggles and echoes.
So far, parenting is like a crazy trip you never planned for, with a suitcase you weren’t sure you needed, and a camera you grabbed at the last second. Along the way you realized, “Hey, this is kinda fun!” and eventually you realize that the destination is still unclear, but the trip is half the adventure.