Without kids, life is so different. Things are so easy and life seems like smooth sailing. You don’t have to worry about cooking three well-balanced meals or wholesome snacks every day. Just grab some takeout or nibble on leftovers. The house mostly stays clean since there are no little people to clean up after. Getting a bit stir crazy? Take the week off and travel spontaneously without worry. When you’re raising children, though, life takes a completely other direction.
Raising Children — New Experiences
Parenthood makes you do and say things you never thought you’d have to. I never thought I would have to tell my child to stop blowing spit bubbles in the mirror. I never thought I would have to tell her to stop sucking on the mint dental floss. I never thought I would encourage her to spit half-chewed, saliva-soaked items into my bare hands.
Being “grossed out” is something I no longer have the luxury of experiencing. Yes, the things I have touched, felt, tasted, and done are on a completely different level. Over the years, it became commonplace to step in puddles of body fluids randomly scattered throughout the house. I’ve had to pick and wipe things from areas that no person should ever have to venture into. There are things I have seen things that can never be unseen.
Also, it wasn’t until I became a parent that I began fearing silence so much. Whenever children go quiet, it’s usually because they’re doing something they’re not supposed to. Whether it is coloring his or her entire body in marker or taking felt pads off chair legs and sticking them on walls, silence is the prelude to trouble. Did I mention one time our daughter was tasting water dripping from a leak in the ceiling? Good thing we caught that one quick.
Raising Children — The Fun Continues
Then, once you get past all the mishaps of your own child, you have to deal with those of other children. Having friends over to play means you have to clean up after them. Some would leave yellow droplets on and around the toilet after using it. Others would leave an explosion of mess when eating. There was even one time that a girl came over and, only minutes later, vomited all over the floor. No wonder I’m so fond of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. They’re so easy to use and kill 99.9% of germs, viruses*, and bacteria. We always keep a pack on the kitchen and bathroom counter just in case.
Even now that my daughter is older, I’m still picking up after her. After she cooks or bakes, the kitchen looks like a battleground. I keep trying to teach her to clean as she goes but, well, it’s a game of repetition when teen brains are involved. When I cook, she’ll help serve the food. But, for some reason, she never wants to bring the dish to the pot. Instead, she insists on carrying each spoonful of food across the kitchen, dropping much of it on the floor in the meantime. For cooked on or dried up food, Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes with Micro-Scrubbers are essential. They allow me to scrub off tough messes and sanitize the area at the same time.
Parenthood presents just as many difficulties as it does rewards. I wouldn’t trade if for the world but it’s no picnic either. The good thing is that, even though it’s stressful at the time, such experiences are quite fun to look back and laugh at. Even in writing this post, my family had some good giggles at things our daughter or her friends did in the past.
What are things you never thought you’d do or say pre-kids?
This post is being compensated by The Clorox Company as a part of the Clorox Influencer program and as part of my participation of being a Clorox CLXChampion.
