They lied, it never gets easier but…
…I don’t mind a bit.
It’s funny how often in those first few months with a new baby people will tell you it gets easier. The line of it gets easier after 12 weeks, or it gets easier after 6 months can seem a torturous and cruel comment to a sleep deprived and stressed out mother looking for real solutions and support.
Interestingly enough I have found myself making this same comment, it’s a bizarre comment to make when you feel that it isn’t exactly true. In the face of a stressed mother though it often seems the only thing you can say.
There is some truth in it but, that newborn stage really is incredibly hard and trying. What they don’t tell you when they say it gets easier is that it gets easier in some ways and harder in others. In truth it is always hard, but not in the same way.
The most bizarre thing about discovering that it never really gets easier is that it’s really okay. The hard work of raising a child has so many rewards that in the face of the difficulties I find myself taking all the challenges in my stride with a content acceptance.
While I will admit that there are moments of extreme stress and frustration (we all have them), for the most part the constant barrage of parenting challenges I meet with joy. You might be reading this asking why, the simple answer…
…because I love him.
The Natural Parent is written by Kristy Bassett
