20 Ways Your Personality & Lifestyle Changes When You Become A Parent
Biggest Life Changes of Parenthood
Everyone experiences parenthood differently. However, something every parent can agree on is that from the moment you have a baby, life changes dramatically and irreversibly. It brings fresh perspectives on all aspects of life that transcend well beyond just the early stages of parenthood. Here are 20 of the biggest personality and lifestyle changes you can expect. 
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1. Shift in Priorities
Perhaps the most dramatic change when you become a parent is suddenly prioritizing your baby before anyone. Before we have kids, most of us prioritize our own goals and interests before anything else, but after you have kids, your focus shifts to ensuring your child is thriving.
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2. Greater Empathy
Being a parent isn’t always a walk in the park–there will be days when you’re dealing with your partner’s or your own crazy hormones, days of sleep deprivation, and days when your baby is endlessly fussy. Going through all these hard moments will make you feel greater empathy for those around you taking into account the difficulties they may be facing.
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3. Stronger Bond With Your Partner
As the two of you work together to nurture this new life you created, your bond will be stronger than ever. Navigating the challenges together, sharing in the joyful moments, and being supportive of one another can bring your relationship to a new level.
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4. Changes to Your Social Life
After you have a baby, you may have trouble relating to your single friends. Your new interests and activities bring you closer to other parents who become your new social circle. That’s not to say there’s no place for your old friends, but you might just need to put them aside for a while and reconnect when your life allows for more independence.
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5. Greater Emphasis on Health and Fitness
As a parent, you'll find yourself opting for a salad instead of fries and even skipping the beer. The new responsibility of parenthood influences you to take better care of yourself, staying fit and healthy so you can be an energetic parent for years to come.
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6. Career Changes
At work, you’ll find yourself seeking out more flexibility and prioritizing work-life balance so you can accommodate your childcare needs. Ambition will take a backseat at first, but the need to provide for your little one could motivate you and instill a greater work ethic in the long run.
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7. Time Management Skills
Child care is a full-time job and on top of it, you might have a full-time job. You’ll find yourself being extremely busy and as such your time management skills will improve so you can cram everything you need to do into your day.
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8. Financial Awareness
As a new parent, all that stuff you previously spent money on that prevented you from accumulating money–the online shopping habit, the much-too-expensive restaurant bills–will seem silly to you. Suddenly, you’ll be thinking more long-term and saving money like never before because you have someone depending on you.
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9. Changes in Sleep Patterns
As a new parent, staying up late and sleeping in on the weekends is no more. You can expect to be woken up repeatedly by the crying baby, making you constantly sleep-deprived. Napping in shifts with your partner while the other tends to the baby becomes common practice.
10. Sense of Fulfillment
All your sacrifices are worth it for that sense of fulfillment parenthood brings. Your life is filled with meaning and purpose and you feel a new kind of joy and satisfaction from watching your child grow.
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11. Heightened Awareness for Safety
With the well-being of your child in mind, you’ll be preoccupied with safety like never before. A sixth sense for potential hazards will emerge as your top priority becomes the protection of your newborn.
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12. Less Impulsiveness
We all have a little recklessness in us, but when you become a parent, making good decisions is of utmost importance. That impulsive sparkle in your eye will fade and you’ll start making more calculated decisions with your child’s future in mind.
13. Greater Resilience
Childcare is hard sometimes. You’ll have blissful days and you’ll have days of absolute struggle. To deal with the ups and downs, you’ll develop greater resilience for weathering those difficult moments.
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14. Increased Responsibility
Gone are your wild and free days. Being accountable for the life of a fragile little one instills a newfound sense of responsibility. You’ll start thinking more long-term and be more cautious in your decisions.
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15. More Patient
Nothing fosters patience like spending all of your time with a fussy child. Your fuse will lengthen as you learn to keep your cool through even the most stressful situations. You'll learn it’s better to save your energy for meaningful moments.
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16. Better Conflict Resolution Skills
Children fight with each other a lot. Being the mediator between them will help your conflict-resolution skills develop. What's more is you won't bicker with your partner so much about petty things as you prioritize the bigger picture and choose your arguments more carefully.
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17. Altered Daily Routine
Your daily routine will change drastically after you have a child as your time will be eaten away with tasks like taking them to school and playdates, preparing meals, setting them down for naps, and cleaning messes. Having quiet moments to yourself will become scarce and you’ll need to plan your days to fit everything in.
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18. Increased Appreciation for Your Parents
Only after you have a child and understand how much work it is will you fully appreciate your parents. You might even find yourself forgiving them for things you previously held grudges for because you finally understand the immense sacrifice they made and how hard they tried.
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19. Changes in Hobbies
In order to spend more time at home, you might see a shift in your hobbies. If before you liked to go dancing, perhaps you switch to something like painting, or you might take a hiatus on your hobbies altogether to focus on family time.
20. Appreciation for Small Moments
As you watch your child grow and learn new things, you’ll understand how fleeting this time is. You’ll gain a greater appreciation for the little things in life and learn to savor simple moments.
