Is there anyone who hasn't found having children that bad?

[Addictedtocinammonrolls]

I'm 32, all I hear is how people regret it, how hard it is, they haven't slept well in years, their looks and figure are ruined, finances and relationships ruined and so on .
I am really on the fence about it. If I were to have any I'd only ever have one I think.. I like my current life, I just really don't know. I'm not expecting it to be a piece of cake but so many people seem to regret it.

You certainly do if you rely on MN for other people's experiences, unless you're finding a baby very hard work you're told you're being smug etc. so many say nothing. OP, don't judge by MN!

I don't regret it... its hard sometimes but it's fine. I don't feel like having children ruined anything

It's the best thing me and DH ever did and we've done a lot of wonderful things.

You don't have to have children.

Being a parent is the best thing I've ever done.
Yes, it can be exhausting, draining etc.. But it is also wonderful (to me). No regrets.

I've only got one six month old baby, so I'm still fairly new to this... BUT me and my husband bottle fed and slept in shifts with baby overnight, so with this strategy we've both consistently had 8+ hours sleep a night since she was born. No sleep deprivation.

My daughter is a delight - every night me and my husband are giggling and playing with her. I adore her.

My looks are better than before - I still have 10lb of baby weight to lose, but my figure is the same apart from I have huge boobs now. So basically my figure is an hourglass. I love it (I was a pear shape before).

I'm genuinely so happy I had a baby. It's been so much easier than I was expecting. Before I had one all anyone told me was how awful it was - it's hasn't been my experience at all. I'd like to have more :)

My only downside is work - my boss tried to get rid of me while I was on maternity leave. Still, I've now accepted a job at a new company with better boss & better pay. So it hasn't negatively affected work or my ambitions so far - but that was a v stressful patch!

It is hard, if course it is. I have three children, 15, 16 and 17. They don't give me any shit. I can honestly say I've raised them well and I'm so proud of them. They are the best thing I've done with my life and my greatest achievement.

I've also hidden from them sometimes.

I love my kids. I've never been as happy as this. The unconditional love has really helped me fix parts of my own childhood, and taught me a lot about myself - and my parenting has taught me a lot about my parents' parenting.

My plan was running my own small company whilst DH looked after a couple of perfectly behaved clever kids who attended private school. What we have is me as a home educating SAHM to two autistic kids with ADHD/PDA/anxiety and probably more. And I'm happy.

But it wasn't my plan. There are hard days when I hate it, my body is wrecked (but some is menopause), I'm permanently tired, and it really hammered home how useless DH is.

I adore my kiddos! They’re a handful at times but I wouldn’t be without them.

My children have ruined my looks, they are giving me sleepless nights, they are very hard work, I'm struggling financially because of nursery costs.......yet, I still consider them the biggest blessing that has ever happened to me!

Currently pregnant with my 3rd.

I love this post 😁

@NotGotAClue1

I had a very similar kind baby, I was being woken every hour when she was 4 months for weeks and we have co-slept the last 2 years until 2 months ago she asked to go in her own room and then we did a transition there. I'm actually still bf her so I have done every single nap and bedtime. She was still waking 3-5 times a night even when she was 22 months. We contact napped until she was around 18 months and she naturally began to move away from contact napping.

I couldn't ever leave my child to cry, I struggle to understand how anyone could.

I love it. I could have a load more if money and time were not things! I can deal with the broken sleep. Actually, I love sitting with my baby in the wee hours, feeding her. I love the wee eyes staring into mine getting heavier until she is back to sleep, the wee sweaty head and the snuffly noises she makes when she wakes. I loved it with my last one too and could not wait to do it again.

I love watching them grow and interact with the world. Experiencing their firsts, seeing them make friends, the hugs, the wee slobbery toddler kisses. The boy who thinks he is too cool for kisses at school sneaking into bed for cuddles and kisses at home. I have loved every stage so far. My only regret is that I cannot have 5 or 6 of them.

I never planned on having kids - and yet I absolutely love being a mum !

I was a SAHP until my youngest was in year 3 at primary school , and I absolutely loved it- best years of my life. And pre
children I was very much working in my
dream job, and during pregnancy with my first (who wasn’t planned) I was planning on going back to work as soon as I could, but the minute he was born and I held him everything changed.

I think because he wasn’t planned therefore I had zero expectations about what parenthood would be like is maybe why it worked so well ?

I think it's parents with more than one child who struggle the most. If you add in an absent or unsupportive father or child(ren) with special needs, the difficulty increases exponentially. Also having reasonable disposable income helps as you can then outsource cleaning and/or cooking and can afford more days out.
If I was on the fence, I would try with one child so that I'm not overwhelmed. I've also seen that one child families have fathers who help a lot more - but that's just my life experience and may not be true overall.

We bottle feed and slept in shifts when he had night feeds too. Definitely a reason why we haven't found it particularly hard either.

And Christmas, oh Christmas has been fucking amazing since I had children. I will be really sad when Santa does not come anymore.

Bit of a weird one here.

I found having one kid just so sooooo frigging hard.

But somehow I went for round two and had a second one. My life is better and having number two made sense of it all to me. I'm now very mumsy and family orientated and embracing it rather than fighting it.

I felt all your fears.

I think a lot of the time what makes it so difficult is that having children forces the inequality in a heterosexual relationship into stark relief. My friends with young children all express the same feelings of being overwhelmed - not because of the children but because of the absolute lack of help from their partners, the feeling invisible, the assumption that women have to deal with everything and not complain. If you don't want to resent your partner and keep believing they see you as an equal - don't have kids

That's great that your baby slept well so early. But that doesn't mean any future kids you may have will. Just saying, as my first slept through, 7pm-7am from 11 weeks. They were always an easy baby and toddler. I was so very confident in my routine and how well it worked....hahahahaha how little i knew 😂😂😂
My second woke from 4am for 1.5 YEARS. My third at 18 months is still not consistent and only started sleeping without a night feed from 13 months.

Until you know true sleep deprivation, you can't understand struggling being a parent. I found parenting the easiest thing ever with DC1, as was always fully rested. I honestly believe it is in the childs nature how easy or hard they are, and luck of the draw what you get dealt.

It is tiring and financially hard at times but it's the best thing I've ever done. My DS is my absolute rock, he has made my life better.

DD due in 14 weeks. I hope I still feel this positive with 2 kids 😴🙈

Honestly though, everyone is different. I've had my moments but definitely don't regret it

To be fair, sleep training doesn't always mean leaving a child to cry. Sleep training is an umbrella term that includes many methods.

I have sleep trained but I never left him to cry.

I love my kids dearly but if I had my time over again I would definitely not have any. My own children are that age. I can't see either of them having any tbh

Best thing I ever did. Yes the 1st couple of years is hard but there are lots of positives too. Mine are both primary school age and I love it. By the way mine woke every hour roughly for the first2years. I thought I’d never sleep again, but it is now a distant memory. It doesn’t last! The love and cuddles and the funny things they come out with make it worth it.

I had one at age 36, never regretted it at all, she is now 17 and is and always has been the light of my life. Check out Gina Ford books they saved me lol. She has always been an angel, I can’t imagine my life without her honestly! I dont think i’d feel the same about having another one though!!

I love it.

Think about the things you ARE good at in your life and work. You'll probably remember times when you showed a real ability to do hard work at the expense of short term fun for something you really wanted long term. All the parents above who advised you have to want it are spot on. But they're not saying you have to want the sleepless nights. Nobody wants those. They're the tough parts you endure for the joy of having a family.
Newborn cuddles, first steps, funny sayings, buzzing house, holidays together, twists, surprises, proud moments, shared woes, being the teacher, learner, diplomat, role model, always having someone to call and someone to care.