What are the rites of passage all parents go through?

[headfairy]

Friends of mine have just had their first baby, a dd. so what can I tell them are the highs and lows all parents go through?

I'll start - catching your child's vomit in your hands. Before I had kids if someone had told me I would instinctively hold out my hands just as my child puked I would have laughed at them. Five years down the line somehow I seem to have done it several times, bleurg!

So what's your "thing" that you think all parents go through at one stage or another?

Was going to say the vomit one before I read your post.

Being peed and pooed on, by every baby you have.

Baby falling off the bed/changing table/sofa

Having "I hate you" screamed at you by 6/9/14 year old

Realising your toddler has disappeared on a busy beach (usually brief, but heart-stopping)

The first time your child spontaneously smiles at you, and later, the first time they spontaneously tell you they love you.

High. Never been that fascinating to watch anyone sleep before....

Low. The first time they present you with something broken expecting you to fix it and you can't.

Cogito, you're so right. I finish work late at night and always come in and kiss the kids while they sleep, and I could stand there and stare at them all night!

The day you realise they go to bed later than you, and coming down to get ready for work and finding them still up.

Arguing about your different approaches to parenting.

As they grow up...............

Worrying that they are not eating enough
Worrying that they are eating too much

Worrying that they won't talk
Worrying that they won't shut up
Worrying that they don't talk

Worrying when to let them out
Worrying that they never go out
Worrying that they are never in

Worrying that they won't go to bed
Worrying that they won't get up

Just a few I can think of

Worrying your doing it all wrong then seeing them do something new and realising your doing good job

Ds1 is 11yrs old and takes a bigger shoe size than me which I find to be very weird. 10 yrs ago I used to love kissing his feet now I wouldn't want them anywhere near my face.

Rite of passage: putting babies to bed with the usual rigmarole of bath, milk, stories, crying, wriggling and then both plonking down on the sofa and making that "phew" noise that old people make and turning to DP and wetting ourselves laughing because we are just like our own parents were!

Highs: newborns regaining their birthweight (somehow felt like my greatest achievement ever)' morning cuddles, last kiss goodnight when you go in to peek, every new word.

Lows: around week 5, wondering if I would actually never sleep again.

if bf walking round with 2 wet circles and not knowing they are there.

walk

oops posted too soon.

walking off and forgeting your pram/baby

pooed or weeed on.

sitting in a&e at silly o'clock with dc and high temp/trapped finger/bumped head.

Looking in their ears.
Clearing up vomit in a public place.
A&E

Oh I've got another one... Having just potty trained dc2 I now don't bat an eyelid to dropping a toddlers pants anywhere for a pee, or conversely carrying a Pottete liner full of pee around in my bag until I find a bin.

First school residential trip is a rite of passage. It was the first time that my pfb wouldn't be with anyone who loved her. Just that thought made me blub like a baby as the coach pulled out of view.

When they start to make sense when they answer back and you realise maybe it's you that's got wrong...

headlice, worms etc! No one told me i would have to inspect bumholes