We won’t change after the baby’s born. Ha, ha!

Of course your life won’t change, you only have a little defenceless human being that cannot do anything and I mean anything for themselves. What could possibly change?Well, believe me, everything changes!

Of course the people that say this are usually ones that have not had any children before and I mean this in the nicest possible way, but they haven’t got a clue!

I have five children from 20 years of age down to three year old twins and of course my life hasn’t changed! Oh except of course for 20 years my sleep has been broken and that’s just the beginning!

Your world revolves around this little baby that needs your attention 24/7. You actually don’t have a clue what you are doing! Why should you? You have never done this before, it’s a massive new learning curve. I have always compared it to starting school because everything is all so new.

Your life is centred around feeding, changing and getting your new born to sleep. This was exactly how my life was before. Yes of course it wasn’t! Absolutely nothing is the same. Don’t get me wrong it’s an amazing time, but to have any chance of enjoying it you need to embrace the whole experience.

So here are my 10 things that have changed in my life since having children.

1. My sleep pattern was totally disrupted by my first child. She was an awful sleeper and I don’t think I ever recovered

2. I have always loved gaming and could easily have played Xbox all day. Well those days have certainly gone

3. Children’s television – I am an expert! I am sad to say I think I could actually lecture it at university I have watched so much of it!

4. I am a taxi service for children ferrying them everywhere and I can guarantee you that goes on for years and years

5. I am so safety conscious it’s probally overkill, but you see dangers that don’t even exist because you don’t want any harm to come to your children. You constantly look at possible dangers that may happen. Paranoia I would imagine they call it!

6. All of a sudden you have to organise your own life around your children. I think spontaneity disappears just a bit!

7. We regress back to childhood, initially speaking in baby talk and then actually enjoying playing with their toys

8. Eating your children’s leftover food – I would never eat anybody’s leftover food before having children now I constantly do it!

9. Singing nursery rhymes in your head. On one occasion actually listening to it in the car on my own on the way to work!

10. And finally finding time to be myself. You are never that person again because children change the way you think, the way you do everything in your life.

The truth is that when you become a parent you cannot be selfish. Your life revolves around your children and life is never what it was, but I would never have it any other way because children are a truly wonderful blessing. Your life is richer for having them in your life.