By Dorothy Krajewski: No matter how much you try to prepare for motherhood, you really won’t know how you feel about it until you experience it. No matter how many books you read, you will never find that elusive recipe for how to look after your brand new baby, let alone a toddler, pre-schooler or teenager.
I thought I was prepared. I had read the books and spent a great deal of my childhood and adolescence in the company of babies and young children. The reality was nothing like the books.There was so much stuff the books, or other mothers, didn’t tell me.They didn’t tell me that each child is different, that there is no one single way of being a mother. Information is power, but picking the right bits for you and your family takes time.
Mothering took me by surprise.The enormity of the change in lifestyle and priorities was overwhelming. I lost myself. I was not prepared for the feeling of one-ness with my newborn. It was suffocating.
A lot of mothers, including me, find themselves isolated and alone. Some are lucky and find support among their local mothers’ groups, or extended family. Others, like myself, gravitate to online forums and social media in search of connection. My online parenting community supported me throughout my boys’ early childhood. I was able to ask the most inane or ridiculous question and found that I wasn’t the only one who had similar worries and questions.
I started blogging on a parenting website to get me through some of the darkest times in my life.The support I received from other mums, relating similar stories and letting me know I was not alone, was a lifesaver. Literally.
The online friendships I made led to real life relationships and while these haven’t stood the test of time, they were there when I needed them most. Meeting these friends in real life felt comfortable, like coming home.
When I started my blog, I received similar support. Mums seeking connection with others,
I feel sad that there are so many mums who don’t love mothering, but I am glad that I can provide them with somewhere to go to. Somewhere they can connect. Somewhere they don’t have to feel alone.
I hope that our new anthology does the same.
Visit Things they didn’t tell you about Parenting for more information about the book and to buy a copy for just $4.99. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to Foundation 18, an Australian charity supporting orphaned children in Indonesia.
Editor's Note: This is a charitable sponsored post to support the sale of the ebook - thanks to Dorothy who writes at Singular Insanity and offered this post to further support the sale of the book - I think it's a very worthy cause.
