Things you were naive about

[Ontobetterthings]

Ill start never been into football but am now a football mum to an 11 year old. I used to think that professional footballers where plucked from the park if playing well and off they go to their professional career 🤣.

What i know now is its starting early years at football, week in week out training and weekend matches. 121s, tournaments and loads of trials and blood, sweat and tears and politics. I never had a clue before as didnt come from a football family.

What else did you have no clue about and were naive back in the day?

Marriage (and the sexism of the traditions surrounding it).

How absolutely relentless parenting in the baby/toddler years is. The mind numbing sameness day in day out😅 I've been a sahm and I honestly wish someone had told me just how much it drains you😭 don't get me wrong I love my little one to bits but my god I'm glad I'm one and done😅

The feeling of insecurity as an expat. When you’re in an already precarious industry and your visa is tied to your specific job that you’re becoming increasingly disillusioned with. But you absolutely love everything else about your new life so you have no choice but to stick it out and it’s years before you can apply for PR status.

Yeah, I had no idea I would feel like this when I signed that contract and bought that one-way flight!

When I was in my late teens working in a restaurant, the manager told me one of the waiters had been fired for stealing. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to steal knives and forks… She had to break it to me that the person was sacked for stealing money not cutlery. It genuinely hadn’t occurred to me.

Men on the post-labour ward. Before I was on MN I had no idea why anyone wouldn't be in favour of dads having 24 hour access to stay with their partners and newborns. Seems like a great idea. Then I read about some of the horrific things that have happened and the awful ways many men have behaved. I was naive enough to think for years that 99.99% of new fathers are kind and dedicated and would be there purely to help.

@DappledThings As a home-birther I've never considered this but I can totally appreciate what you are saying.

There's a long embarrassing list. I'm autistic.

What being an adult is like. Most of the time we are just making it up as we go along and at nearly 50 I imagined I would know lots more stuff by now! 🤣