🍼24 Ways Motherhood Has Changed Me
#9 has been so impactful...
Ahhhh, motherhood.
The most blissful, blurry, beautiful experience of my life.
Ever since I first saw that positive test about two and a half years ago, I have been on a gradual evolution.
And I really mean that.
I think that a lot of moms experience a drastic change once their baby is born, but mine has felt much more subtle and slow.
When I look around at my life, many things feel unchanged in certain ways and wildly different in others. But even the “wildly different” ebbs happened quite gradually. Let me explain—
The very innermost core of my being feels quite constant— who I am, who Kate is, feels largely the same actually. My personality feels relatively unchanged, I am still passionate about my career, my interests remain relatively stable…
…but yet.
When I look around, I see so many ways that life has shifted and transformed. They haven’t necessarily been dramatic 180-degree changes, but things have evolved and expanded. I have evolved and expanded.
And today I am going to share 24 ways that my mindset, hobbies, life priorities, responsibilities, marriage, TIME, and, heck, even my physical body have changed since becoming a mom.
In this list of 24 items, I am going to share the very obvious, but also the more subtle, sneaky ways that life has changed since I entered this era of my life. Ya ready? Let’s jump in.
#1 The way I would describe my life is different now
Even though I had a “full” life before kids with work, socializing, and beyond, things generally felt pretty straightforward. If I wanted to do something, I did it. If I had a goal, I went for it. If I wanted to hang out with my friends, I saw them. Speaking very broadly, life pre-kids felt quite uncomplicated and easy.
And now? I wouldn’t necessarily use those exact words to describe life since becoming a mom, but a whole new crop of descriptors has emerged.
Life doesn’t feel as simple, but it does feel richer, more worthwhile, more vivid, more selfless, more connected, more… purposeful? It’s hard to describe what I mean, but basically, having a child absolutely did not make my life easier, but it made it better and different in so many other ways.
#2 I don’t assume that everyone should want to be a parent
Ever since becoming a parent, I feel even MORE firm in my belief that not everyone should want to be a parent or needs to have kids in order to cultivate a fulfilling, meaningful life. A child-free life can be just as meaningful & beautiful & purposeful!
It just depends on the person.
While I personally felt very called to motherhood, I have always respected people who are on a child-free path. Not to mention, there are many people who desperately want to be parents, but have had a difficult journey getting there. ALL of these people deserve love and respect on their own unique journey.
My point? I can love being a mom *and* understand that parenthood is not the path that everyone seeks.
#3 I have found the things that *I* am passionate about as a mom
My son is almost 2, and I have found a lot of clarity on the type of mom that I am. I am simply not the mom who will set up an elaborate craft or sensory bin or have a perfectly styled outfit on my child. But I AM the mom who loves to get outside, get messy, be goofy, spend time in the kitchen, cultivate joy around food, etc.
EVERY parent has their own gifts and things that they are drawn to — I’ve really learned where *I* shine as a mom and made peace with the areas where I am not as inherently gifted.
#4: Time is more monotonous now, but…
Okay, to be honest, this is what I was most nervous about in my decision of becoming a parent— the potential of feeling trapped in the monotonous day-to-day of parenting.
Before having children, I used to love flying by the seat of my pants, letting my day flow, traveling every chance I got, making plans, and generally doing every day on my own terms.
Now, my days are much more monotonous, but…