Ok, so when people tell you kids grow to fast so enjoy every moment, they were not kidding. It’s been 5 months since my last blog, yes i feel guilty but for those who have kids, you would know your day’s can never really be planned and what you thought you could do isn’t necessarily what happens but here i am giving it another go.

My son is almost 12 months old and the sunshine of my life. Who would have thought i would grow to enjoy this parenting thing. When days are tough he always knows how to make me smile and for that my life has changed for the better. Yes it’s hard at times and wow.. do i miss sleep but yes, I’m going to say that old cliché line… i wouldn’t have it any other way.

Being a parent isn’t easy and we all have our ways of coping and dealing with the day ahead  so i thought i would share my 5 tips that may or may not help, suit or excite you.

1. Find something that you enjoy drinking (other than Alcohol) and have a drink first thing in the morning. For me it’s coffee. I need 2 of them every morning. After i have them i feel energized and ready to tackle anything the little one will throw at me.

2. Find an escape that can occupy you for a few minutes every couple of hours in the day. I know it’s not easy sometimes to find this time but even if it’s while your little one is eating, or sleeping. Keep in mind it doesn’t have to be for long. It could be reading through a magazine, reading that favourite line in a book or for me its scrolling through Instagram and Facebook. What can i say, im a social media magnet. But hey, its something i can do without having to think, only takes a couple of minutes and for some reason after that im then ready for the next house chore, nappy change or grocery shopping trip.

3. Im always on the go, my mind travels a thousand miles an hour and when im doing one thing, im often thinking about something else. Because of this i feel like sometimes i don’t appreciate being a parent. It wasn’t until about 2 months ago that i realised how quick time goes, i would often find things to occupy my son so that i could sterilize the bottles, or prepare dinner, mop the floors or do the washing. Yes these are all important day to day things we all have to do but now i make the time to spend at least half an hour a day just playing on the floor with my child, it might just be reading him a book or letting him jump all over me. The special thing about this time is i bet you will realise something that you hadn’t seen before. A new facial expression, a hand gesture or even a word. It really is rewarding,

4. Parent Forums are a great way to learn, laugh and feel like your doing an ok job. Ones that i follow are on Facebook, a big one is Mummy Madness. For me it’s not necessarily about asking advice but more seeing what other parents are going through. Often questions will be asked that you might have been thinking about, or issues that might arise with your little one that now puts you at ease knowing others are going through the same thing. It also shows you that more often then not other parents are having a harder time then you and your life or situation doesn’t seem so bad. Every now and again a discussion gets heated and put a smile to my face seeing all the passionate parents out there. Go ahead and start searching for a forum.

5. Day Care has saved my sanity. We put our son in daycare for 2 days a week when he was under 6 months old. We got negative feedback and criticism and i felt terrible for the first week. I went back to work part time and i honestly believe it has made me a better mother. I have my adult time to breath a little and work doesn’t seem so bad any more. We were lucky that we found a great centre and they adore our son and he enjoys his time there. Over the months we have seen him grow into a very social happy boy and we believe that day care had a lot to go with it. Even if for just 1 day its not only great for you but also for there development.

Remember these tips aren’t for everyone, like a child every parent and parenting style is different. What works for one wont necessarily work for another. I hope at least 1 tip can benefit you. I would love to hear 1 tip from you all, maybe i can benefit from you. Feel free to write a comment below.

Until next time, hopefully sooner rather than later and don’t forget to enjoy every moment because it really does go to quick

– Realhonestmum x