Before I became a parent, I had lots of opinions about parenting. I used to think that it will be a walk in the park and sometimes could not fathom why the responsibility seemed like mission impossible for some parents.  Truth be told, I’ve become one of “those” parents.  Being a parent has changed me in many ways. I’ve learned and am learning so much and I’d like to share this journey with you, my dear readers. For now,  here are 7 things I’ve learned since becoming a parent:

 1.  You can never be prepared enough

Kayden certainly didn’t come with an instruction manual, not through those books I’ve read or advice from other parents nor any YouTube videos I may have watched. Kayden, like any other child, is different.

What works for one, may not necessarily work for Kayden or for your child. Understanding and accepting that each child is different and that you cannot compare your child to another does help in practicing patience.

2.  It’s important to Practice Patience

Kayden has an enquiring mind. They call it the terrible two’s but it’s just a phase where he is curious and wants to see, learn and experience new things. He asks lots of questions and it’s important for me to be patient and to answer his questions, as I don’t want to set any limitations to his curiosity in this regard as it is a crucial part of his development.

It also takes some effort when I need to practice patience and he doesn’t make it very easy – like when he takes forever to eat a meal, or even worse, does not want to eat a meal. He is just being playful most of the time and I must constantly remind myself to be patient and not to react in a manner that depicts any negative reinforcement. It’s not always easy, I am constantly working on this and I have moments where I lose control.

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3.  I won’t always be in control

Yes, you read correct, I sometimes do lose control.  For someone like myself, who always used to like to be in control, a lesson I am learning through being a parent, is that things are not always going to happen the way I would like them to. No child is perfect. No family is perfect. I’ve never believed in perfection anyway – however, any dream I had of having a child/children that would obey my every word, was just a dream.

I recently discovered my “mum voice” – gosh, I am pretty sure the neighbours did too! Never had I imagined that I would be this type of parent who would raise my voice at my child. Kayden is slowly but surely helping me let go of some of my “perfectionist” habits and OCD tendencies.

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4.  We are Imperfectly Perfect

There are sometimes that Kayden doesn’t listen but that doesn’t mean that I love this precious Little Man of mine any less. He is a child. He is not meant to be perfect and his imperfections are cute, adorable, lovable and forgivable with his facial expressions.

As parents, we make mistakes and we don’t always do the right thing, but one thing is for certain and that’s the fact that we are in this together, through mutual love, respect, and trust.

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5.  Time is even more precious

Since becoming a parent, I find that time seems to be more like a rare commodity. There’s just so much to do.  That being said, my priorities have changed. To put it bluntly, I’m selective in how I invest my time and with whom – I remove myself from any potential bullsh!t or drama. Everything about my life now, revolves around Kayden, with his best interest at heart.

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6.  Time Out is necessary

I give myself time to do the things I enjoy. I don’t believe that being a parent means that I should be by Kayden’s side 24-7. I’d love to and when I am out without him, I do miss him. I do know and realise it’s important for me to do these things for myself as I don’t want to one day feel miserable that being a parent is holding me back from anything in any way. So time-out is as vital as mother’s milk.

7.  There will never be enough photos

I almost can’t believe the number of photos on my camera roll. Since Kayden was born, I wanted to capture as many moments as possible and I still jump at every opportunity to this day. I love looking back at photos, it reminds me of each milestone and each memory.

Photographic memories for me is something very precious.  It’s scary that it’s mostly digital and I remind myself that I must back up my devices regularly as I would one day like to share all these with him. Although…I have already been showing him past pictures and he enjoys doing this whilst we are snuggling.

Each time I look at a photo and at Kayden himself, I feel a strong sense of joy and pride.  I am so happy to be called, “Mum-Mum” and to be his mum. Each day I am reminded that in parenting, it’s often the child that’s the teacher.

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FYI – Kayden’s Outfit details:

This week has been extremely hot in Gauteng. Yesterday (which is when he wore this outfit) was highly uncomfortable. This Jordan Air two-piece from the Rookie USA range was perfect for Kayden in such weather. It was cool and light and he wasn’t sweating so it didn’t “stick” to his body.

The last thing you want in this weather is your toddler in uncomfortable clothes.  I love the colours on him and he did too, seemed quite chuffed to have his shoulders exposed.  I love that you can dress your child from head to toe with the Rookie USA range, it usually is such a mission to get a wide variety of clothes for boys, well in my opinion anyway.  If you enjoy your child dressing in brands such as Converse, Nike, Hurley and Jordan, amongst others, which are part of the Rookie USA brand, you can shop for them at the following stores: Also, keep your eyes on this blog…there’s some exciting news coming soon.

1. Zando
2. Spree
3. Superbalist
4. Runway sale
5. Cross trainer
6. S&K showroom
7. Sneakers Inc
8. Rashid Cassim sports
9. Just for kickz
10. Shesha
11. Edgars active
12. Studio 88
13. Skipper Bar

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