This is what no-one warned you about being a parent

Future mothers: there are three things that no-one warns you about when having children.

Sure, you’ve been told about the lack of sleep. Yes, you’ve been briefed about the mess, vomit and poop. You’re bored about talk of the crazy school runs, dirty soft play centres and Friday nights at home.

Here are three things no-one ever tells you about having kids:

1. It’s actually rather fun at times.

Parenting is not all sleepless nights and wiping bums. But yes, poop does feature a lot. In my case, taking my kids to a rather upscale, hipster Asian restaurant and my boy comes out of the toilets with ‘Oh mummy, I just did a huuuuge poo. This shape and ….’ I’ll save you the rest of the details apart from… when he helpfully pointed out that ‘it looked just like that man’s spring roll!’

It’s the looking at life with fresh eyes. Seeing everything new. Stopping to look at a tiny beetle walk so very slowly.

Parenting can be disgusting but it can also be very, very fun.

2. You’re now needed.

It often feels like my children are on a kamikaze mission. At other times they’re just damn unlucky. Either way, they’re helpless.

Choking, rotavirus, a badly squished finger, and a severe allergic reaction. Along with Rafa’s anaphylactic shock, his sister baby Annabelle faced a lesser, but still serious reaction. I didn’t save their lives, the doctors did that, but my husband and I picked up the pieces afterwards.

And it’s not just the emergencies, it’s also the cuddles, the bath time, the story time, the play time.

Your kids need you.

3. You’ll fall in (proper) love.

I’ve loved pets, I love my parents, I love my husband, but it all pales in comparison to the love for my children.

No-one warned me I’d love my children this much. Call it a divine force, call it hormones, call it Darwinism, I don’t just love my children, I am in love with them.

It’s overwhelming. Sometimes, quite honestly, I wish I didn’t love my kids so much. It’s like the parents who ban pets from the house in case anything happens, because it’s too distressing.

For some it’s immediate, for some it take a little while after the birth, but whichever way, you’re going to fall very, very in love.