I love being a mom, there’s no denying that. However, every once in awhile I am reminded of things I routinely did before having them… that I TOTALLY took for granted. My friends who don’t have kids yet are often surprised by the things I tell them to savor now.
Here are 12 things I took for granted before having kids:
1. Naps (and sleep in general): I think most moms are with me on this one. Sleep is kind of obvious, moms don’t sleep. (at least with my kids, I don’t.) But I used to LOVE taking naps. Naps on the couch in the middle of the day for no reason at all. I mean, I probably wasn’t even TIRED.
2. Date Night: Strangely enough we never called it date night before we had kids. We just called it a normal weekend. We would go out to dinner whenever we wanted, I totally took that for granted!
3. Watching TV: I love reality TV. I have hours and hours of all my favorite trashy reality TV shows stuck on my TiVo since I never get to watch it. Once the kids are in bed, my hubby and I watch the news (yes, we DVR the news since I don’t have that stuff on when the kids are awake) and then I usually don’t feel like watching anything else.
4. Going to the Mall: I NEVER go to the mall. EVER. I do all my clothes shopping online or at Target, since they also happen to sell diapers, food and wine. I know a lot of people hate going to the mall, but I always loved it. It was the best just walking around and eating lunch by myself.
5. Running Errands after Work: Back in the day, I used to love stopping at random stores on my way home from work. (Marshall’s and HomeGoods come to mind) Now I rush home, since I know my husband is struggling to make dinner with two crazy kids running around. I also don’t want to miss our family dinners.
6. Personal Upkeep: Salon visits and pedicures are few and far between these days. I don’t like being away from the kids on the weekend so I only make these appointments when they are DESPERATELY needed. That means I look like a hot mess a good majority of the time.
7. Warm Food: I rarely consume anything warm. My breakfasts, dinners and my coffee are almost always cold. There are many reasons why this happens. The second I sit down my son will ask for more milk, or my daughter will cry since I didn’t give her the PURPLE spoon, so I have to get up… track down said spoon.. wash it… dry it.. reassure her that it is, in fact, her favorite purple spoon until I can finally take a bite of my own (now chilly) dinner. Sometimes I make those microwave breakfast sandwiches, and I will forget I even made it, until I randomly open the microwave to find it still sitting there.
8. Seeing my Friends Whenever I Wanted: I used to call my friends and say, “Let’s go grab sushi!” or “Want to take a spin class later?” It was SO easy to see them. Now it’s like, “Hey.. do you want to have dinner the 4th Tuesday of this month?” or “Let’s all get babysitters and go on a double date!” It is so much harder to make it all work out, since even with our attempts to plan ahead, a kid is bound to get sick or one of our husbands has to work late therefore cancelling our big GNO plans.
9. Lying Out: Yes, I know the sun is bad for you, but used to LOVE lying out. A big hat, a great book or magazine, a cocktail and I was SET. It is impossible to lie out with children around… but maybe I will have fewer wrinkles because of it.
10. Feeling Put Together: Since having kids, I always feel like a total cluster. Before children, I would thoughtfully select my outfit and shoes before heading to work. I would have my lunch and whatever paperwork I needed ready to go the night before. Now I don’t even realize what I am wearing until I get to work and take a look at myself. Some days, the first time I brush my hair is in the car before walking into the office. If I am wearing actual shoes (instead of the flip flops I wear to take the dog for a walk before leaving in the morning) then I consider it a win.
11. Money: I vaguely remember something green called money. I used to spend it on tons of clothes for myself and designer jeans. I would buy $7 smoothies and $60 bras. Now I pay 40 bucks for a box a diapers for my daughter to poop in. My kids literally s**t on my money.
12. My Parents: This is the biggest one. To this day, I still apologize to my mother for the way I acted as a teenager. I wish my dad was still alive, not only so he could meet my kids… but so I could THANK HIM for everything he did that make my childhood so amazing. Now that I am a parent, I realize all the sacrifices they made for me. One day, perhaps my kids will do the same.What are some of the things you took for granted before having kids?
This is such a good list! Because it's alllll true! You had me laughing & smiling the whole way through. I only have a 9 month old- who is pretty easy to please, so I still get warm meals, but it's only a matter of time 😉
Some of the time it is my fault with the cold meals too.. like I will totally forget where I put my coffee and then find it two hours later! ha!
Running errands. It was such a breeze to run out the door whenever I needed something. Now it's a much longer process. There's no such thing as "running out" anymore!
YES! So true! Stopping to get something is a major process now!
Haha! Every single one of these!! I miss naps so much!! I'm so tired! Also, I never eat a warm meal or drink hot coffee-the coffee part won't matter too much soon because it will be iced coffee time…so there's that…Great list!!
I love iced coffee too!! 😉
Okay, this just all got aded to my before baby bucket list. 23 weeks (or less) and counting!
Nap for the next 23 weeks. For real. 😉
Sleep, oh sleep.. I used to be able to sleep until the afternoon, now my lay in days are done at 9am and I think that's a luxery!
Being able to enjoy an alcoholic drink, I'm not talking about getting drunk, just enjoying a drink. Since my first pregnancy I can't enjoy any type of alcohol. It just puts me off completely.
Holidays! Oh jees, remember a holiday in peace? You know, one where your actually on holiday, not feeling like you need a new holiday after a holiday with kids!
The list can go on and on
That is true.. Holidays are so much more stressful now! That is a great one!
Wow- cute post. Made me laugh and kinda cry. What I have to look forward too. Thanks for sharing it!!
The good far outweighs the bad. 😉
[insert head nod for each thing you listed]. Spot on again girlfriend! #1 is the biggest one for me!!
Yes I think my husband misses naps the most.. for me I think it is the mall.
Very true list! I miss expensive bras! 🙂
I know!! And now my boobs actually NEED the support! ha!
Such a true list! I knew things would change, but I didn't realize how little time I'd have to myself heh.
I miss all of it – especially just time to read a book. I used to LOVE reading. GREAT post. And btw…LOVE that necklace on your instagram feed, can you email me how to get it?
Oh reading! I totally miss curling up on my couch with a good book and reading ALL day! Now I can't even read while I'm nursing my baby because she needs to see what I'm doing and gets distracted 🙁
Yes, reading!! My kindle is so dusty.. I can never stay away long enough to read more than a page or two.
AMEN, mama! Number 11 made me chuckle! And really though… what is sleep… I don't even remember anymore!
I know! One day we will sleep again.. and then we will miss the chaos! 😉 Have a fantastic week!
You know it's bad when your 4 year old tells you that you need to get a pedicure…but living the dream !! 🙂
haha I know my feet look SO bad right now.. I usually only get either my hands or feet, not both.. since I hate being there for so long. 🙂
Lauren u have summed it all so well here. Somedays I feel like I have too many balls in the air and things have changed so much since I became a mom. Its hectic but I guess I wouldn't be complete without all of this and my family.
Right, I mean the kids make it worth it.. but still.. sometimes I think what the heck did I DO with all my time!?
Great post! All of these are so very true. It's is SO difficult to go clothes shopping now. Although I guess I'm saving money by not buying so many clothes? haha
That is a good way to think about it, I def save money on clothes these days! ha!
#12 hit home with me – but the whole list did. I also lost my dad and I know he would love my kids. Great list. Visiting from Mama in the Now
I'm sorry to hear that! I am sure they are both keeping a close eye on our kids as a guardian angel! 🙂
I am a full time stay-at-home-running-after-kids mom…..But how much I agreed with everything you wrote…the cold meals, the missed TV shows, my parents (my dad who is no more and my mom who is so far away, in India), relaxing time, going to malls, buying things that would fit me….I am usually out in anything I am wearing, and that's mostly loose-fitting garments….Everything rang a bell inside me and I said oh yes, this one too, oh yes this one too….Lovely post……Real and lovely post…..
Thank you! Yes, I think all momma's can relate.. no more time for ourselves! 😉 I hope you are having a great week!
Oh man how i love this… All so true and you said it so we'll. Funny and beautifully put. Life sure does look different with kids…but it's such a worth it trade!
It is def worth it… but the MALL.. I miss the MALL. 🙁
So much yes. Especially #10.
😉 Yesterday at work they took our picture for something.. and I saw the pic and thought, "gosh.. THAT is what I am wearing right now??" haha
Yep, Yep and Yep. This says everything I feel. I just miss not HAVING to do something. Choosing to do what I want. I miss that.
I completely understand!! I hope you have a fantastic week, and maybe even sneak a bit of time to yourself!
YES to all of these! But I most lately can relate to #6 and #10…these days I always look like a hot mess, ha, but trying to fix that as I realize I need to take care of myself as well!!
I have been getting a bit better lately.. I am finally keeping up with my hair these days. 😉
Sometimes I wonder what I was doing before I had a kid. Like, how did I spend all that free time because I truly can't remember… But yes, the TV and the naps. Also, not having to give someone else my food — I cannot eat anything in front of my daughter without her wanting it.
I think that ALL. THE. TIME. what the heck did I do before I had kids?
We are sisters, separated at birth! I have thought every one of these! I loved going to the mall alone, too. *sigh* I wish I could go back and tell myself all these things…
I know! A close friend of mine doesn't have children yet and she always cracks up when I tell her to enjoy those things now. I'm like, "you just wait!! You will miss going to the mall!"
I think it's so funny because I remember being single or married without kids and thinking I was SO busy! I didn't have time to workout or cook dinner at home because I was just too busy. Busy doing what? You don't realize how busy you are until you have kids. I agree with your entire list especially laying out in the sun and getting tan and of course, our parents. I don't think you'll fully realize the sacrifices they made for us until you become parents.
I think that all the time too, what did I do with all my time??? haha…
Omg yes! Every one of these!!! I look at pictures pre-mommy days and how put together I was! I looked fabulous 24/7… Now I'm lucky if I have an extra minute to throw some earrings in before having to be out the door lol…
I still kind of looked like a hot mess before kids… but at least I wore cute outfits. Sometimes now I look down at what I am wearing while at work and I think, "What the heck am I wearing??" lol
all true!!! i always say get your selfishness out before you have kids. it's then that the selfless-ness kicks in.
For sure!
HA! They literally ARE sh***ing on our money!
Along the same line of naps – we used to get up on the weekends, eat some breakfast, and then go back to bed. It was so nice. We reminisce about that a alot.
Oh my gosh.. My husband and I used to LOVE to do that! When we went away for the weekend for our 10 year anniversary we were like "Lets eat a huge breakfast and go back to sleep!!" haha we are real party animals… but it was divine!
I really miss peeing alone…
HAHAHA… How did I miss that one??!! SO true!! No privacy!
I miss sleep so bad. As soon as my one year old started finally sleeping through the night, it was time to bring home a new little one. I need a nap so bad.
I know! Me too! My 2 year old is such a bad sleeper, I havent had one night of uninterrupted sleep since she has been born. before we know it we will be sleeping again.. right? 😉
I love shopping and going to actually try on the clothes. However, like you, the majority of my shopping is now done online.
I know, and I feel like I wear the same lame things since I know what works and I am hesitant to step outside the box when it comes to ordering online! 🙂
Is this what I'm to have to go through when I have children. It's scar to know I want be able to shoe shop. Lol. What a great list. You always look put together to me.
awww. thanks Talitha!! haha.. just train your little ones young so they know that shoe shopping is a mommy necessity!
Haha i think every parent can relate to the majority of these especially peeing along haha, made me chuckle.
yes, I can never escape to the restroom alone!
Being able to use low shelves. Now they're empty because the toddler throws everything onto the floor when she's in a bad mood.
SO true! We had to put locks on all out closets since my daughter loves opening them and pulling everything out!
I luck out that I have an hour lunch break at work, I use this for my extra errands and time for myself. I also use it to go to the gym and read (multitasking at it's best). I will say that sleep and eating dinner in peace are two things I took for granted. Oh boy do I miss those. I have known couples who were in a rush to have kids as soon as they got married, my advice is to enjoy being married for a year before you even try. You will miss that time more than you realize, which is also what makes it so special.
I would love that! I am basically stuck at work when I get there, it is hard to get away, but every once in awhile I can and it def makes things easier! And I always tell my friends to enjoy being married before kids, it is great advice!
Number eleven!! Haha! Isn't that the truth? Time, money, a little bit of our sanity all gone once our sweet little bundles enter the picture 🙂
Very true! But they are so darn cute! 😉
So true!! I would add to your list long, hot showers. I have a blog post about them, lol…:) http://oneanddoneregan.blogspot.com/2014/12/showers-didnt-used-to-suck.html?m=1
That's a good one too.. I am always so rushed to get ready!
YES!! This is EVERYTHING! My mom passed away 6 years ago and only met Kid #1/3 and I talk to her every day and apologize for being an a$$hole!
I know, i wish he could have met my kids so badly! 🙁 I guess at least he is watching over them!
Yes to every single one of these! Especially the date nights! Who would have thought you'd have to start calling it date night if you just want to go out with your spouse like you used to. I'll add to your list warm coffee that hasn't been reheated 3 times. Eventually I just give up, ha!
haha yup… reheated coffee!
Great list I think you covered the lot! Thanks for sharing on Monday Madness link party 🙂
SO TRUE.. ALL OF IT!
YES! I miss being able to run to the grocery store to grab something really quickly. Now, if I have to go to the grocery store, it's a big process with diaper bags and carseat buckles and everything!
Oh how I miss the mall. I just tried to go in there the other day and ended up throwing three shirts in my cart and booking it out of there ASAP because my daughter was hollering and wanted to go home!
I laughed out loud at #11. I have three kids age 4 and under so I totally get all of these!
I don't have kids yet – so I will take full advantage of all of these until then! 🙂
Warm food and just watching TV in peace! I am right there with you..