Being a parent can be bittersweet. Children change incredibly quickly, you are in an almost permanent state of loss for the person they were while simultaneousl

Being a parent can be bittersweet. Children change incredibly quickly, you are in an almost permanent state of loss for the person they were while simultaneously welcoming the person they have become. They are a baby, or a toddler, or a five year old or a teenager once. Enjoy those times for what they are, each is different, each is hard in its own way and rewarding in its own way. You will miss aspects of it when it’s gone. It will be gone sooner than you think. Similarly, cherish the special occasions, there are fewer than you think. There are perhaps 8 christmases or halloweens when a child is old enough to enjoy and young enough to find them magical/fantastical in the way small kids do. The early years are hard, but relatively simple. Things tend to get less hard and more complex as they get older. The early years are like running a marathon, later on it’s more like a never ending set of escape rooms. Cherish them for the age they are, because they will never be that child again. look after yourself and your partner, physically and mentally. The early years are exhausting, keep fit, eat well and get as much sleep as you can. Take any help you can get. There is no one right way to raise your kids, get them to sleep, potty train or ween them. Be prepared to listen to or read advice, try it out and then try something else if it doesn’t work. Try and be analytical about why things do or don’t work, try and think through your child’s responses and your own behaviour. Be the kind of person you want your kids to be. They learn more from watching you than from listening to what you tell them. Go easy on yourselves, no one is perfect. You will get things wrong. You might get angry or say or do things you regret. But if you do, sincerely apologise. People are fallible and that’s ok and something they need to understand. On a very practical level, get some attenuating ear plugs. The sound of a screaming baby can be mentally exhausting, especially if they won’t sooth in the early months. Earplugs will still let you hear them but you won’t be so exhausted and will have more patience. Alternatively listen to music/podcasts or watch to through headphones while soothing them, sometimes you will need to hold them in order for them to sleep. That’s all a bit rambling, but I hope some of it helps. Good luck to all of you