It’s the most rewarding job in the world, most would agree.
But ask any parent who’s been up at 3 a.m. with a screaming newborn draped over a shoulder, and that same person touting the rewards of parenthood would also agree with this: It’s one of the most difficult.
Karen A. Jones offers new parents a simple bit of advice: Keep your sense of humor.
The author of “The Baby Memoirs: Responsibility Overload” ($12.99 CreateSpace), was inspired to compile her memoirs when one of her friends said those stories were comforting.
“She said, ‘Why don’t you write a book? It would make all of us new parents feel better.’ “
The Fort Collins woman juggles her job as a landscape horticulturist and owner of K.A.T. Designs with caring for her two young girls.
Q: You have a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old. Was it difficult having two so close in age?
A: Incredibly. Your first child is used to having your sole attention. Suddenly, you have to stop what you’re doing to feed or change the youngest. The newborn has to have your attention. The older child, or children, aren’t so happy about that.
Q: In your book, you point out that this is not such a bad thing all the time. Why is that?
A: It stops you from being what I call a “hover mom.” Guess what? Your oldest child will now learn to open his own jar. They will learn to do things on their own. If you let them go a little bit, it’s not such a bad thing.
Q: But it’s rough for a while, right?
A: Oh, yeah. You think two children will be twice the work? It’s more than that. Expect to be exhausted. My oldest was 2 when I had my second, and she was a clingy child. She was also into everything. So the question became, Do I stop feeding one and lunge for the other?
Q: So when you’re at wits’ end with a newborn, or with more than one, how do you cope?
A: I was lucky. My husband is a wonderful father. But spouses have jobs. You’ll be juggling alone often, and everyone needs a break. Even 10 minutes away will help you. If you have two kids or more and nobody is around to help you, find something educational on TV and let your older child watch for a short time while the infant is napping.
Q: So you have those 10 or 15 minutes to yourself. What do most parents want to do?
A: You’ll be tempted to put in a load of laundry, wash those dishes or pick up a mess. Don’t do it. Sit down and relax. You need that time.
Q: Any advice for women suffering postpartum depression?
A: Hopefully they have a partner who will recognize it or good friends who will say, “Go out and take a little time for yourself.” Sometimes that’s all it takes. If it’s more serious than that, seek help.
Q: Say you’re new to town and don’t know a soul. How do you cope then?
A: My advice would be to find a moms group. If you can’t find one, start one. I gathered a group of people with newborns together when I had mine. Up to eight moms would show up, and we’d have snacks for the kids. We hung out, let our kids play and let the discussion go on. We helped each other out with problems and solutions. It makes you feel so much better. You get shut off from civilization when you have small children. Human contact will make everything so much better.
Last week’s column on rabbits left many people who have rabbits as pets unhappy with the advice offered. While it is a matter of debate as to whether a rabbit is a good choice of pet for a child, or what the animal’s ideal diet is, there is no doubt that they need a bare minimum of 10 minutes’ care a day, and preferably much more time than that. To find out more about rabbits and the caretaking that goes into owning one, visit the Colorado House Rabbit Society (), a nonprofit organization dedicated to adopting out rabbits to loving families and to educating the public.
Editor’s Note:
