Becoming a parent is life changing in so many amazing ways. But some things just aren't quite the same (or possible) once you're pushing a pram around.
Obviously I would never want to go back to life before baby, but it doesn't stop me from sometimes thinking about the things I probably should have done more of before my daughter bounced into my life. All the simple things that I took for granted (yes, I'm mainly talking about sleep here). It also doesn't stop me from preaching about the things I reckon people SHOULD be doing before they become parents for the first time. Even though I never listened to any of this advice. (Nobody likes a know-it-all.)
Here is a short list of all the simple but purely indulgent pre-baby things that I think non-parents should make the most of. Because once that delicious little bundle arrives, life will never ever be the same again (in a really, really good way, of course).
1. Just sleep
I would make the most of being told to "sleep", before being told to "sleep when the baby sleeps", because every parent knows that it's just not as easy as that. In fact, I would sleep late, sleep in, sleep more - just sleep. It might not sound like an enormous indulgence to those who currently have the luxury of 12 hours' uninterrupted shut eye every night, but anyone who has been repeatedly woken at all hours for months on end will understand how valuable this past time becomes.
2. Be lazy and love it
I would loll around and not feel the slightest bit guilty about it. Who cares if it's 5pm and the biggest thing I've achieved all day is collecting a sea of nacho crumbs in my pyjamas (which I'm still wearing because I haven't moved off the sofa for an entire season of New Girl). I would tell my pre-baby self to go ahead, be lazy and love it.
3. Go on more DATE NIGHTS
Life gets so busy so fast when you become a parent that simple things like going out with your equally-as-busy-and-sleep-deprived partner kind of take a back seat. There’s nothing quite like getting dressed up (or dressed!) and enjoying some dinner and drinks in a fully grown-up adult environment, talking about something other than baby poo and how tired you are. An evening like this in the company of your loved one is not to be underestimated for its restorative properties. In fact, I would go out for dinner and drinks SO often with my husband that I wouldn't feel the need to have to call it a DATE NIGHT.
4. Leave the luggage
Sometimes, it's the simple things in life that bring the most pleasure. Like being able to leave the house without having to pack a bag of 20kg worth of stuff that you might need for any given eventuality. That, among other things, is what happens when you become a parent; you spend a good portion of your day packing and unpacking and searching for the goddamn
missing baby sock. Little did I know pre-baby that being able to leave the house with just my keys, purse and phone would become such a novelty. It makes me wonder what the hell I was carrying around in my bag before my little munchkin arrived?!
5. Go see the girls
There is no greater tonic than catching up with old friends who knew you during life before baby. Obviously being a mum doesn't mean you're never going to see them again (unless they cut ties with you because they're sick of hearing about placentas and cracked nipples), but time constraints (like having to pack a 20kg bag every time you leave the house) do mean that it's more challenging to get out and see them. Because of this, I would stay out an extra hour, have another glass of wine and enjoy those last girlie conversations for a while that don't involve placentas and cracked nipples.
6. Be brave
I didn't realise how much of a wuss motherhood would make me. All those hormones and maternal instincts (not to mention the little and precious life that you are now in charge of) mean that the sense of adventure you once owned has probably been overtaken by a sense of responsibility. If you've ever dreamed of skydiving, surfing or running a marathon (all things I did BEFORE baby), then you're less likely to take the plunge once you become a mum. Plus, everything on the adventure front pretty much pales in significance once you've given birth.
