The Challenges of being a parent

Parenthood is tough let’s be honest, it’s also great and a joy to experience however it does come with
many sacrifices and changes that you are never fully prepared for. Things like;

• Scheduling exercise for you and your spouse – who does what when, who looks after the kid, who does what races, which races do you do based on now having a kid in tow
• Who goes to work late, who comes home early – the nanny isn’t always on time so this takes some adjustment
• Socialising over breakfast rather than dinner – this seems to work for us, also cuts costs and means we tend to eat healthier at night
• Cash flow management – the spare cash you had now goes on medical expenses, formula, nappies and medication, and hired help. Its very easy to get depressed very quickly about the sudden lack of cash
• Lack of free time – by nature I tend to value solitude, time to focus, and quiet. Having a child changes all of these. While it is great you are never ever “off the clock” when you are a parent. There is always something to do, a game to be played, nappy to be changed. Yes its fun but it is the toughest part of being a parent for me, especially not being able to have an afternoon snooze at the weekend after a tough week

How you manage these changes is really down to you and your spouse. Communication as with many
things in life is key, as is making space for the other. We find that by me doing my exercise during the
week frees me up to have dad time at weekends while her majesty gets in her long slow runs. Noticing that the other is tired and taking his lordship for a walk to the park also really helps. Money though is always an issue, there will always be sacrifices and things to buy. No more new iPads or camera toys, its nappies and formula now.

We seem to be coping, we both enjoy being a parent and wouldn’t change it for the world, it just take a little adjustment that’s all.