Nurofen for Children want to hear how your life has changed in unexpected ways since having your DC - £300 voucher prize draw! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

Nurofen for Children have asked us to find out how Mumsnetters’ lives have changed since having children.

Here’s what they say, “It’s no surprise that 88% of first time mums reflect on having a baby as a life changing experience as they rework their normal routines to take care of their little one. During their baby’s first year, over two thirds of mums say they felt the biggest impacts on their relationships (65%), work life (65%) and friendships (55%).i

“Almost half of those questioned describe the first year as full of love and amazement.i during the early months in particular, 29% say they struggled with feelings of loneliness and over half (52%) felt that they had lost their identity since becoming a mum.i After friendships changed, 52% say they felt a need to make a new group of friends who could relate to their parenting experiences.”

“Nurofen for Children is trusted by parents – 9/10 parents who used it would recommend it to a friend.iii

“Nurofen for Children understands how daunting it can be going through so many changes, especially in the early months of parenthood. To help you through this life changing but magical period, you need advice you can trust and products you can rely on.”

So, what changes have you experienced since having children which you perhaps hadn’t quite anticipated? Perhaps you actually all of a sudden become a lot more efficient at doing things? Have you uncovered a hidden talent and become an expert fancy dress designer and creator? Or maybe you didn’t appreciate how it would now take you three times so long to get ready in the morning? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks
MNHQ

Terms and conditions:

• To enter the competition answer the question above
• To enter, you must be: A) A UK resident; and b) 18 years old or over at the time of entry and c) a registered member of Mumsnet
• Competition closes at midnight on Thursday 26th November 2015
• Entries posted after the closing date will not be considered
• One winner will be chosen from all winning entries
• Mumsnet will choose the winner at random after the closing date
• Mumsnet will contac the winner privately to organise delivery of the prize
• The prize is £300 Love2Shop vouchers
• Full terms and conditions here

Nurofen for Children 3 months to 9 years Orange / Strawberry. Nurofen for Children Orange / Strawberry 3 months to 12 years (weighing over 5kg). Contains Ibuprofen. For relief of fever. Always read the label.

iSurvey of 2,000 mums by One Poll, commissioned by Nurofen for Children (October 2013)
iiSurvey of 2,000 parents with a baby under 6 years old, commissioned by Nurofen for Children (May 2014)
iiiSurvey of Mum’s Views of 141 mums ‘9 out of 10 mums who used NfC would recommend it to a friend’. Last accessed August 2013.

The biggest change for me was the amount of love you have for them,love that you didn;t know could exsist so strongly.....oh,and a diminishing bank balance !!

My diet has completely changed as I no longer can have whatever I'd like for dinner, and instead I have to make things which I know my children will eat, so nothing very spicy etc.

Wherever I go out shoppomh shopping I always fingers something that belongs to them and when they are at preschool and nanny's house I just look and smile bcbcause without my kids I wouldn't be the person I am today they saved me and gave me a reason to wake up every day :)

Lack of sleep is the biggest thing. I really miss waking up myself naturally.
Also learning to do so many things one handed and multi tasking.

Drinks never get drunk hot, privacy is a joke, but their love is worth it all.

I never sit upstairs on the bus anymore

I'm never on the phone for more than a few minutes

I'm never more than an arms' stretch away from a wet wipe or biscuit

A lot of my conversations are about poo

I no longer feel self conscious when other people's babies stare at me for ages the way babies do

I am a lot more relaxed than I used to be

I own about 50 million more photos than I used to

I never knew I quickly I could be getting ready for the day! Usually would take an hour to shower, dress etc but it only takes minutes now!

I have less time to myself but far more fun and love to give.

I've become more at peace with the world and my place in it. Like, I don't really feel like I am looking/waiting for anything or anyone any more. I've got my lovely daughter and enough money to get by, so despite the frustrations and challenges of parenthood, I've never been so content.

Whereas before my little girl I loved going out for meals, shopping and catching up with friends I am now at my happiest at the park or ballet. Being a mum is a job that has great perks and rewards - the best kisses and cuddles imaginable x

when children come along you learn to cook healthily, stop doing anything when the children call, get up earlier to fit all the jobs into the day, and don't bother about your appearance so much because their needs come first.

Before kids, wine, lingerie and a fancy dinner spelled romance. After kids, the most romantic thing I can do for my husband is wash the dishes, however i wouldn't change my life for anything

Always, always, have medicine in. You've run out? You'll need it at 2am.
Learning to cope by myself was the hardest. I was married, had two DC with my husband and then he started a business which involved being away from home four to five nights a week due to the distance of work locations. I was an expert in scooping a sleeping baby into a car seat with a toddler Ds and running to a&e when ds's lips turned blue from croup complications for years. Thankfully he has grown out of it now.
Teaching my DC to be friends and not fight too much had been the most rewarding though.

I am far more patient, and life is much more fun. But world events (Paris) sadden me more as they seem more relevant.
I had a miserable childhood, and am determined that my DD's will be different. But I am strangely far more accepting of the unhappiness I had as a child, and have reconciled with my own parents.

I never really realised the love you feel for a child is indescribable, I look at her everyday and feel this intense love that melts my heart! It's different to the love you feel for your husband for example.

Maybe I have rosy tinted glasses on but when they were babies I basically led on the sofa reading books whilst the baby gurgled at me from her bouncy chair. We would then go for a wander to the shops where strangers would coo at her and then it was bath and bed. The baby days were lovely and if I ever wanted to go out my nan would have her.

Now my children are 8 and 9 my life has changed. I spend my life rushing around sorting out rugby tops that need to be washed, taekwondko and sparring kits as well as school uniform. We are always rushing somewhere. My house is way more cluttered then when they were babies or even destructive toddlers, it's not half eaten apples down the sides of the sofa anymore it's books/toys/paper/pens/sweet wrappers that are always in my living room!

However they do wash up and bring me cups of tea so it's not all bad!

My kids taught me how to be strong and brave through a past event where i had to be strong for them, even though the event probably wouldn't have happened if i hadn't of had kids, i still wouldn't change them for the world and I would do it all again if it meant protecting them x

Oh my life has changed in many ways!
For starters I can tell you all there is to know about kids tv LOL!!!!
I clean much more than I did before my little one was born,
I have double the washing and ironing to do.
I get out more though, and socialise with other mums.
I have a brilliant routine, I am always up bright and early and make sure I am in bed by 10pm (Before I had my daughter I was up to all hours)
My work life has changed from full time to part time.
I love being a mum :)

That I wouldn't want to work full time once I had children. Work had taken up a lot of my life before they arrived, and now being with them is the most important thing to me.

How heartbreaking being a parent can be; you feel their losses and worries so acutely.

How rewarding being a parent can be, and how endlessly interesting your own children are (but I still remember they aren't endlessly interesting to other people!)

My dc are older and I've got quite used to the various changes now! For me it's now about being more financially responsible and thinking not just about my immediate needs but the long term needs for my dc - thinking tuition fees, house prices and wedding costs for the future!

I found myself alone with my twin boys when they were 3 weeks old, I think it is fair to say that there were days where I didn't know what day of the week it was, but I was determined to do my best by them but life has never been the same since.
I have no social life, not many friends as most of mine had children a lot older than the boys and just getting out to groups was difficult alone.
The boys are older now and at school and I returned to work and the juggling act and guilt that comes with that is constant but I've learnt not to sweat the small stuff so much.
Biggest changes are obviously how enriched the boys have made my life but I am super organised, great at planning now and still find myself rocking from time to time even when there is no child in my arms!!

I hadn't anticipated never being off duty. They sleep for 12 hours at night, but I am still worrying, preparing, tidying, planning, cleaning the sheer mess every hour I'm awake!

I wouldn't change it for the world, although I do think I must have been so lazy pre DC!

• I never expected to talk with my partner about poo so much!
• I'm less likely to have my favourite lip gloss in my bag these days - now its more likely to be a dummy, Soreen bar or some kind of toy
• Getting to drink a coffee whilst it's hot now a very rare occurence
• I appreciate me time so much more these days
• Having to think what's more important - DS/DD having new shoes or me needing a haircut
• Having to plan rare nights out months in advance
• Feeling cut off from a lot of my friends and feeling like certain friendships will never be the same
• Missing adult conversation during the day and sometimes actually wishing I was at work whereas before I hated being there

I knew i could always multi-task...but not to the extent where I can complete ten activities at once!

It's hard to remember, really - my daughter is now 48 years old!