The Most Difficult Thing

I'm sure there are not one, but two billion different answers to this question.  Post anonymously if the safety will help you be more honest.

What is the most difficult thing about motherhood?

Comments

[wendy]

the lack of self care:

- time to shower
- pooping solo
- eating slowly
- sleeping for more than a few hour stretches
- being able to have a real conversation with friends, family or husband without the constant distractions

in general...trying to meet the demands of toddlerhood with grace regardless of the above challenges.

there i said it!

[Gemma]

Not being one.

[karen]

for me it's the monotony ... motherhood is a vicious cycle of making and cleaning up messes. sometimes the messes are fun, but usually they are just kind of stinky.

[wendy]

Oh, Gemma, I hear you honey!

Love from an IVF miracle mom,
W

[indie mama]

patience, patience, patience...

it all gets done, happens, or works itself out when it's supposed to...but where, oh where!, can i find myself a syllabus?!?

[indie mama]

patience, patience, patience...

it all gets done, happens, or works itself out when it's supposed to...but where, oh where!, can i find myself a syllabus?!?

[pmc mom]

The difficulty seems to change with each age or stage that the children go through. What used to make a big mess either doesn't any more or they can clean up themselves, with some impatient prodding (i.e. crying, pleading or yelling). Now I can get in the shower and they can answer the phone while I shower. Now I am expected to fill up their boring, boring days with fun, friends, and excitement. Soon it will be back to cracking the whip for homework to be done. Parenting is like life, good and bad, up and down, easy and hard, success and failure, and everything in between. That is what is humbling about it.

[Laurel]

Changing the crib sheet! Oh yeah, and frequently feeling like I'm doing it ALL wrong and turning her into a sociopath. Other than that, it's super fun.

[Stephanie Ladd]

To me, it's not repeating how I was parented. Thankfully, my parents didn't get it all wrong, but trying to remain conscious of the things that were done to me that didn't work and not repeating these dysfunctional phrases, attitudes and actions takes a lot of effort and mindfulness. When I find myself falling back into old patterns of learned behavior I try to give myself a gentle kick in the ass and apply what I know works--it feels like swimming against the current, but ultimately worth the effort.