10 Things You Can’t Do Once You Have Kids & 10 You Still Can
The Can & Can'ts of Parenthood
All parents can relate: once you have kids, your life does a complete 180. Suddenly, you realize you took your kid-free life for granted, because now, you can’t do all the things you used to. Whether it’s sleeping in or going to the bathroom alone, everything’s changed—and it’s gotten tougher. But don’t worry: there are still plenty of things you can do as a parent, and we’re here to prove it. Here are 10 things you can’t do once you’ve entered parenthood and 10 you still can.
1. Have Quiet Time for Yourself
Once you have kids, gone are the days when you have quiet, uninterrupted time for yourself, whether that means indulging in your hobbies or kicking back with a book. Instead, all your time will be dedicated to taking care of your kids and—let's face it—cleaning up the messes they leave behind.
2. Sleep In
Yup—gone are the days of sleeping in, too. During the weekdays, you'll need to get up early to drop your kids off at school before heading to work; during the weekends, you'll need to get up early to make breakfast for your little munchkins or put on their favorite show. Well, that is, if they don't shake you awake first.
3. Eat Your Favorite Snacks Without Sharing
Bought a bag of your favorite chips? Well, you'd better hide it before your kids see it, or you'll have to share it (which really means they'll be eating it all). Honestly, you'd best hide whatever you're eating, or else your kids will come asking for a bite, too.
4. Take a Bathroom Break Alone
Remember when you could go to the bathroom alone without worrying about what your kids were doing outside? Well, after you have children, you probably won't be able to experience that peace again until they're all grown up. You're taking a bathroom break? Move over, your kids are coming in, too.
5. Spontaneous Date Nights
Technically, you can still go on date nights with your spouse, but it'll just be a lot harder to arrange, and you probably won't be able to do any spontaneous ideas. For one, you'll need a babysitter (not to mention going through the process of hiring the right one), and you'll need to find a day that works for everyone.
6. Take a Sick Day
Feeling sick? Too bad, your kids still need you to take care of them. While your spouse could (and should) take a day off as well to help you, your rest will probably be interrupted every hour or so by your children, and parenthood may also have conditioned you to feel like you need to get up and look after them.
7. Watch TV During Normal Hours
If you have a TV show you've been meaning to catch up on or a movie you want to watch, unless the rating and genre are both safe for kids to watch, you'll need to wait your turn. Which most likely means late at night on Fridays and weekends, because every other time slot will be taken over by your kids' flashy cartoons.
8. Curse
Having kids around also means you'll need to watch your language and monitor what you say. Kids, after all, learn from their environments, so as parents, you and your spouse will need to set a good example. That means no muttering f-bombs under your breath, and replacing the the s-word with something less vulgar, like "crap" or "crud."
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9. Have Uninterrupted Conversations
Forget having conversations over the phone or in person with people, and that includes remote work meetings. Sure, you can still have them, but whoever you're chatting with will likely overhear your kids asking you endless questions or making odd noises in the background.
10. Spend Money Impulsively or on Yourself
That new watch or bag you'd been eyeing or saving up money for? Once you become a parent, your finances become tight, and you'll need to make sure you have enough money for essentials, like food, diapers, strollers, and daycare. So, if you want to splurge or treat yourself, you'll need to calculate if it's even within budget.
Given all that, what things can you still do after having kids? Let's jump into that next.
1. Travel
Contrary to popular belief, you can still travel and have fun even after you have kids. In fact, it can be more exciting and rewarding to bring the entire family on a trip, even if it'll definitely feel different from traveling just with your spouse.
Natalya Zaritskaya on Unsplash
2. Pursue Your Career
Sure, it might be more challenging to juggle and arrange your schedules, but it's totally possible to continue furthering your education or pursuing your career even with a kid. And if potential employers aren't understanding and refuse to accommodate for that, then it's probably not somewhere you want to work in the first place.
3. Meet New People & Friends
You might think that you'll be cooped up at home most of the time after having kids, but that's not true. Your kids will make friends at daycare, school, and other extracurriculars, and that means you'll have the chance to meet other parents, too.
4. Understand More About Yourself
Parenting is tough, especially when it's your first time. But it also allows for growth, and you'll get to learn and understand more about yourself as a person. After all, a little person is under your care, and you're their main role model! It's time to be the best parent you can be.
5. Invite Friends Over
Can't go out for dinner with your friends? Invite them over to have a meal at your place! That way, you won't need to call up a babysitter to watch over your kids, and you don't need to cancel your plans, either. And if your friends have children as well, even better—they can mingle with yours.
6. Work Out
Just as you'll be able to make time for work, school, and other responsibilities, you'll also be able to carve out time to work out. Even if you can't leave the house for the gym, you can do your workout at home. Heck, your kids might even want to join in!
7. Have Time for Hobbies
Don't worry—you'll also have time for hobbies, even if it might not feel like you can dedicate that many hours to your passion. Plus, whether you like gardening, cooking, or painting, you can also teach your kids new skills so that maybe it becomes their hobby, too.
8. Stay Stylish
Sure, you might not want to wear a brand new pair of light-colored pants or a new white tee (lest your kids get their sticky hands all over it), but that doesn't mean you can't still be stylish. If you have a particular knack for fashion, you can also dress up your kids as well as yourself.
9. Eat Healthy
Some days it might feel like you have no time to make dinner, but that doesn't mean your last resorts are microwave meals or fast food. You can prep ahead and even teach your kids to eat healthy by portioning your macronutrients correctly.
10. Make New Memories
Again, parenting might be a steep learning curve at first, but once you find your footing, it becomes second nature. Starting a family of your own is a blessing, and it allows you to not only learn more about yourself as a person but also gives you plenty of opportunities to make new memories.
