Sometimes I think I am unrecognisable. A completely different person to the person I was before my children came into my life. Both mentally and physically transformed. I am sure it is not true, but it feels that way. My life changed irrevocably when I had children.
My first lesson came early in the piece. Let me just start by saying that I never saw myself as the Mother Earth type. The fact that I have a tribe (four children, five and under) came as a complete surprise. Quite literally with some of the pregnancies. I just never knew I’d be so fertile!
Once things got ticking away, I learnt that I actually don’t want to ‘sleep like a baby’. Not all babies sleep it seems, which means that their Mums and Dads don’t either. I would have sworn that I couldn’t cope without 8 hours of sleep a night. After more than five years of interrupted sleep, I have been proven wrong.
Being a non-consumerist is a handy quality when you are a Mum because a) you never get to spend any money on yourself anyway and b) even if you get ‘only the essentials’ your entire house will eventually pile up with children’s paraphernalia.
My twin pregnancy taught me that if your tummy stretches to the point that it can sit in your own lap, it probably isn’t going to spring back. Abdominoplasty may in fact be a solution for many, not just the vain, Barbie doll types. A sanity saver in fact.
My children have also taught me just how full your heart can be. I have always loved my family. I love my husband with all my heart. Then along came Nugget, Doo Dah, Dew Drop and the Minx. My heart just kept getting bigger and I found I could love them all. Completely.
And having children taught me how amazing a parent’s love is. I remember after my first child was born calling my Mum and saying “sorry”.
“What for?” she replied.
“I just didn’t realise how much you love me. How much all those crazy stunts I pulled as a teenager must have hurt you. I just didn’t get it”, I said.
She said, “Apology accepted. I am just so glad that you have had the opportunity to experience the love of a mother for yourself”.
Yep. My children have taught me that I am a Mum. The ‘real parents’ aren’t going to be turning up to raise these gorgeous things. That is the life-work of me and my husband. Every day there will be new challenges and new experiences. Every day will also hold a lot of ‘sameness’, ground hog day qualities and routine. But every day I will get to enjoy these little people that I have helped create until they are released into the big wide world to find the opportunity to experience the love of a parent for themselves.
♥
Wow. Just wow. Experiencing the love of a mother really has been the most wonderful gift. It's all you could ask for your own children. For more wonderful words of honest wisdom, visit MultipleMum at And then there were four.