Ask anyone who’s been there: new parenthood is no walk in the park.
You might be fooled into believing that once you get to grips with nappy changes, night feeds and buggy folding, the adjustment is complete. However, according to a new survey, most parents agree that it takes at least 14 months to get the hang of being mum and dad.
Thirty-five per cent of new parents admit they were ‘not in the slightest bit prepared’ for life after birth with almost half agreeing that they were shocked at how much their lives changed after they welcomed their first bundle of joy.
Firstly, new parents spend 2,263 hours of those first 12 months holding their new baby – that’s 6.5 hours per day.
After that, the average first time parent has just 2.9 hours to themselves daily (usually less) during which they tackle what most mums and dads agree is the hardest part of being a parent: the constant tidying up.
A quarter of parents say dealing with the never ending mess is what annoys them most, with bed-time issues and sleep deprivation a close second (22 per cent). 7pm is the hour when exhaustion begins to creep in, while most agree that Monday is the trickiest day of the week to conquer.
Despite the lack of sleep and constant fatigue, almost three quarters of mums and dads say they feel pressured to be ‘perfect parents’.
The pros far outweigh the cons however; 30 per cent of parents say that a big gummy smile from a baby is the most rewarding part of parenthood, with watching them learn a close second.
The research, commissioned by the toy company Little Tikes, involved 1,500 UK parents who answered questions in their first year of parenting.
How long did it take you to get used to being a parent? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.
