10 things which I do differently after becoming a parent

1) Working hours: I used to spend quite long hours in the office before December 2013. The reasons why I did long hours are not very clearly settled in my brain so I will avoid going into details of that. Apart, probably the fact that, I had more work than normal 8-hour day would need, like many of my colleagues around. My work load has not changed, but I deal with it differently. At 17h00 exactly every day I am out of my office, no matter how much I still have to do. The main reason for this is that, when as a working parent, aware that boys have been in the childcare since 8.00am, no matter how many ‘important’ thing I have left behind on my desk I just want to spend some time with them. Without leaving office at this time, I won’t be able to see my children during the week days, as simple as it is.

2) Weekends: Before my (our) weekends started on Friday night, and included friends over, or a visit to a friend(s), a cinema, walk in the country side or a short weekend trip. Forget Friday evenings going-out-and-about. Friday evenings are now to stay at home and relax, and I mean it literally. When working and have children that is about enough to take out all your resources for ant extra activities :). Weekends are still good, but different. It still includes some weekend trips, long walks and even hanging-out with friends. But all these have to be done during day-hours and well synchronised with sleeping times of the little ones. Also during the weekend going out in the evening is kind of too much at this stage 🙂

3) Relaxing: that is a magic word when one is a working parent. It does exist, but it is a different kind of relaxing. For example being at the playground full with kids between age 1 and 5 might be relaxing because there is so much attraction and destruction for my children that I do not have to constantly thinks how to entertain and stimulate them.

4) Reading books: that has become a real challenge. I did manage in this 1.5 years to read 3 books (yes just 3!). Finding time in between work and enjoying the parenthood, to sit and read and understand what I read is a bit of a challenge. So I am waiting for better times when boys get into reading and we can do it together:)

5) Google search engine: my search includes all kind of baby items and sometimes baby and medical terms which I had never thought I would even need to know.

6) Hanging our with girl-friends. I am that kind of girl (or I was at least) who loves to hang out with girl friends. Its been slow lately, but not totally absent.

7) Hobbies: one of my hobbies – to stroll in unknown streets and make photos, changed into making photos of my children. I have caught some fantastic moments with them, but still hoping to get to old habits sooner or later.

8) Starting to ‘like’ or like what my kids like: my children are bilingual (Georgian/Dutch). Their 1st real word that they understand meaning of was ‘ჩიტი’ – bird. My husband is a big bird lover and watcher. Boys love birds, but really love. They can run from the other side of the apartment when they hear the balcony door is open – just to see the birds. Just looking at how fascinated they are by watching birds, I started to like birds and I event started to like to go to the Zoos:)

9) Your going to bed time: they wake up at 7am every day. They do not know weekends and holidays. So I also wake up early. This means i need to go to bed also early. I am not that type who is ok with 6 hours of sleep a night:) i do need my 8 hours, every night.

10) Multi-tasking becoming a habit: this I think is a special trait of the parents of twins. You have to become multi-tasker else you will never make your day through. Like feeding one baby with a bottle and putting the other to the bed. Or trying to play with 2 toddlers at the same time, who want to have the same toys or books but would not allow to play together…and my task is to keep both happy.

By Tika