I’ve been a teacher. I’ve taught kids to ride horses. I’ve been a camp counsellor. I’ve taught Sunday School. I’ve helped with youth and teen programs. I’ve babysat. I’ve read mommy books and mommy blogs. There still are some things I never could have been prepared for as a mom.

Not that I thought I was prepared but I was caught off guard by some of the things you experience as a mom. Maybe you can relate?

The Broken Record

I used to joke that I was going to record myself giving instructions to my students at school so I only had to say things once. I thought I would totally be ready for kids of my own who either don’t listen or repeat themselves over and over again.

Turns out I was wrong. My toddler asks the same question repeatedly until he gets the answer he wants. Which means that I’m saying the same thing over again, “give mommy a minute to finish,” which to him means “keep asking in case she forgets.” I’m tempted to learn to say a few phrases in different languages so he can learn something other than English.

The Unnecessary and Unprovoked Tantrums

“Thank you (insert name of child) for having a meltdown over wearing pants today. This is exactly how I wanted to test my patience this morning.”

Are you familiar with this comment? Maybe you say it in your head or maybe you say it out loud. Either way I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about. We’ve all heard about tantrums, read books, asked for help on forums, watched videos…we know what they are and we probably have some tools to manage them. It still doesn’t prepare you for the daily grind of fighting the same battle over and over again.

As much as I want to be a Mary Poppins mom, I know it just isn’t possible. It doesn’t matter how much you prepare or how many ideas you have, sometimes you just aren’t prepared for the toddler tantrums. It makes you want to have a tantrum too. Maybe the mommy books should talk more about how to prevent a mommy tantrum instead of a kid one because there really is no way to be prepared for them.

The Laundry

Oh. My. Gosh. There is so much laundry. And somehow the adult clothes seem to multiply too. How? How could we wear so many clothes? Why do babies have to have so many poopsplosions? Why do toddlers love dirt so much? I knew there would be a lot of laundry but somehow my mind couldn’t imagine just how much there would be in reality.

The Hormone Fluctuation

I was ready for postpartum care. I kept a mental log on how I was feeling, I looked for signs of PPA or PPD (Postpartum Anxiety/Depression). What I wasn’t ready for was the hormone fluctuations and how long they lasted.

Everything from night sweats, body odour to hair loss. And it wasn’t “just a few months” like they make it seem. Even after 12 months there were times when I didn’t feel like myself, I could have crying fits over…who knows what. In fact I dealt with anxiety later on, when I wasn’t expecting it.

There really is no way to be prepared for this. You don’t know how you will react, or when your hormones will change. It’s literally a roller coaster, and you can’t get off. You just have to hold on for dear life, dragging your spouse along with you.

The Loss of Time

This is a double whammy. You lose time in the sense of personal time. This is obvious, you can’t just go to the store, shower, sit down on the couch…not when you have kids running around. Your time is their time.

What is surprising is losing time in the sense of not knowing what day/month/year it is. Your days are busy and the calendar seems to fly by. Suddenly the baby you were rocking is now a toddler who likes to be helpful and is swiffering the walls, ceiling and tables. Where did the time go? Like seriously!

Mama Bear Syndrome

You know how mama bears are dangerous and should be avoided when they have cubs? I totally understand now. Granted I wouldn’t tear someone limb from limb if they got too close to my kid, but the protective feeling you have is pretty crazy.

Sure your kid drives you nuts. I joke with my husband before he leaves for work, asking which boy he’s taking with him (the kid or the dog) to give me a break. But really I love my kid more than anything. It’s the fierce, protective love that gets you up for the midnight feedings, the love that makes you worry irrationally, the love that tells them “no” to keep them safe and the love that bursts your heart every time they hug you.

That protective, mama bear kind of love is something you can’t be prepared for. However, it’s one thing I didn’t mind being unprepared for.

Be Prepared to Be Unprepared

You probably can read these and think “oh yeah, so true.” And you probably can think of more things you felt unprepared for (or you prepared for but still caught you by surprise). Motherhood can be a mystery and we are just doing the best we can with what we have been given! It’s a wild ride, we may not enjoy every minute of it but it’s worth it in the end. So if you feel overwhelmed or unprepared, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. We’ve all been there and we come out the other side, perhaps with bags under our eyes and less hair than before but alive and mothering!