Begin with the end in mind
‘Begin with the end in mind.’ S. Covey
It is so easy when a baby arrives and changes your life to lose a sense of proportion, or even a sense of where you are heading. As a new parent you are reacting all the time to your baby - trying to work out if the cry means hunger or overtiredness? This reactivity can spread to other relationships - is my partner faking sleep so he doesn’t have to get up to the baby? Is my mother judging my parenting? Are my friends avoiding me?
Wait a minute… what did you plan when you knew you were having a child? A peaceful home, supportive relationships and a happy baby. The huge changes that take place with the birth of a child mean that as a person you will have to grow and change too. You will learn to cope with less sleep, less money, more time alone with a small child and less time alone with your partner and friends. But what you will gain will be the chance to be a parent, to be the most special person in a child’s life, a chance to love and nurture this small baby into a mature, self-sufficient person.
So when you are feeling tired and under-appreciated, look at your sleeping child and remember what an important job you are doing and try to enjoy the journey with the end in mind.
Judyth Roberts
Seaton Central
Community Development Facilitator
jroberts@ucwpa.org.au
