👶🏼Work life hours you both work?
I’m still on Mat leave returning to work 3 days a week in October. My partner works full time.
👶🏼Is parenthood what you expected?
Yes and No. Yes with regard to the love I expected to feel for my baby but no in terms of the steep learning curve that has come with parenthood.
👶🏼 How have you perspectives and priorities changed?
Rían is now my number one priority and I see the world differently through this lens. This relates to everything from how I chose to spend my time and money to the decisions I make about work, the future and day to day life.
👶🏼 What do you feel like you’re doing amazingly at/good at?
Consistently offering my son love and comfort when he needs it.
👶🏼What advice have you been given that you took on board or really resonated?
Comparison is the thief of joy!
👶🏼 Is there anything you miss from before you became a parent?
Sleep in’s, alone time, exercising every day and the freedom you have before parenthood that you don’t really appreciate until you’re a parent.
👶🏼How do you cope with sleep deprivation?
It was the consistent sleep deprivation that got me. There’s always going to be bad nights but when every night is a bad night it has a massive impact. After a 7 night hospital stay Rían’s sleeping habits took a nose dive. Once he was fully well, we got hot help and it was a total game changer for all of us
👶🏼 How long did rian sleep in the crib next to your bed? When did you move him out and any tips?
We moved Rían to his own room at 6months.I think the most important thing is that you feel ready and that you think it’s the right move for your family. Rían was sleeping through the night at this stage so it made sense for us as I wasn’t needing to fed overnight anymore and we were disturbing him getting into bed. I actually thought it would be a harder transition than it was, Rían and I navigated it better than I expected and it was all pretty smooth sailing.
👶🏼What has impressed you the most about your partner?
All the emotion being a Dad has brought out in him, he’s becoming a bit of a sensitive soul like me!
-👶🏼How do you find time for yourself?
By staying up late!
-👶🏼 Do you have any worries or anxieties?
Oh plenty, I’ve always been a worrier but parenthood has really amped this trait up a notch!
👶🏼How do you overcome your anxieties?
Honestly I don’t. I’ve sort of learned to live with them and know things that I can do that will make them more manageable and help me to cope with them. I’m a planner and like to be organised this helps me feel more at ease and makes things more manageable for me.
👶🏼What’s been your most used item?
White noise machine!
👶🏼What do you hope to instill in your child or teach them?
I want Rían to believe in himself and to be brave enough to try things. I hope for him to be kind, curious, resilient and happy in his own skin.
👶🏼 What’s been the best advice you were given?
It’s all been so conflicting! The best advice has probably come in being directed towards the right people when we needed support and that has mostly come from my Maternal Child Health Nurse. I’ve been so lucky in having a wonderful nurse.
👶🏼 Are there any traditions from your childhood that you hope to continue?
New PJ’s and family time on Christmas Eve and watching the Late Late Toy Show every-year (it’s an Irish thing!)
👶🏼 How are you coping with the lockdowns, what is getting you through?
I have to say as tough as they are I imagine they’d be a whole lot harder with an active toddler than they are with a baby. Making sure to leave the house everyday and remembering to be grateful for all the good in my life.
👶🏼Is there anything you do to keep in contact with people at home? Anything other than FaceTime?
I’m not a big fan of face time and scheduled catch ups, I’m more likely to try give someone an impromptu call but mostly I’m a messenger, a lengthy one! I also try and make an effort to remember and mark people’s birthdays.
👶🏼How do you cope with being far away from your family anid friends?
By trying not to think about it and making time to stay in touch with all those I love back home.
👶🏼What have you found the hardest thing about your parenting journey?
Doing this without my family close by, the sleep deprivation of those first few months and the constant thinking and worrying about the tiny person that has become the centre of my entire universe 💛
The Parenting Tales 