As it’s Valentine’s Day, we thought we would focus on love and how being a new parent can help you to feel even more affection for your partner. Just when you thought they had all of your heart- there's more to give. Some couples even talk of falling in love with one another all over again after having children- buy why are these feelings intensified after bringing little ones into your world? Here are our thoughts...
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You are stronger together: Parenting a newborn is tough; there are very few couples who sail through it without a hitch and experiencing something like that together with all the inevitable ups and downs strengthens your relationship. There is a new found respect for the things your partner is capable of doing when you need them most and the loyalty that is required to stay by your side during the times when you are falling apart.
A unique experience: No one else can fully share what you have together at this time- even the most involved of family members can’t muscle in on the snippets of knowledge, the small yet cherished experiences and the feelings that you have as a couple during this period of your pairing. While it’s exhausting, it’s also precious because it’s a very personal moment in your life together that no one can take from you.
You learn how to be a parent together: Especially if it’s your first, you both learn on the job and it’s something that no amount of reading can prepare you for. You have to live through it to truly understand what it means to be a parent and you make mistakes and celebrate triumphs together without judgement because you are both starting off with the same level of experience. Even when more children come along, there is still a steep learning curve to journey on together.
You learn to appreciate the little things: Once your baby is born, you care less about the things you used to and more about the small gestures of selflessness shown by your loved one. When your partner gives you a baby break or lets you rest when you think you are going to collapse with fatigue, you feel the most intense appreciation for their kindness. Acts such as these are confirmation that you are good together because you are in tune with each other’s needs.
Your couple time becomes more precious: You may have once taken for granted the things you did together, but now it’s so few and far between and for such short bursts that you learn to make more of these moments than you once did. The time may have lessened but the quality is far greater so you learn to make more of an effort with one another.
You see each other in a new light: Being a parent may have brought out an aspect of your partner’s personality you never thought possible and it’s a side you enjoy watching or perhaps yearned for when you first got together. Parenting has the ability to extract little elements of yourself and your partner you never thought were there and sometimes this can do wonders for the connection you have with one another.
You each have to sacrifice something: One of you might have to take time away from a job you love to look after your new addition, the other may have to take on part or all of the financial burden while doing this. You both will probably have to dial back your hobbies and social commitments while you focus on your baby. As a new parent you each have to give up something- life simply can’t go on as it once was- and seeing what your partner is willing to sacrifice can reinforce how much you and your child means to them. Nothing will make you feel love your other half more than when their focus shifts entirely to you and your child.
RELATED: Parenting: How to be a minimalist parent when your second child comes along
If you intended to have a minimal pregnancy and live simply when your first baby was born, but struggled to because people were generous with gifts or you didn’t know what you would need so you bought one of everything- it’s ok- you have another chance. So, if you are about to have your second baby or are thinking of extending your family and you want a be be more minimal this time around here are a few tips to stop your house from filling up with unnecessary items... to read more click HERE
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