I totally believe that if there’s anything that can help as a parent, it’s a time machine. This would be a way to go back and correct a silly mistake or something you said but then felt bad about. But other than that, I think it’s very reassuring. I could time-travel to where I was, in the process of raising a newborn, and say, “Hey, try this,” or even just to provide comfort: “Hey, past me: It’s hard now, but it’s going to get easier.”
In a recent program It’s me, Tinks In the podcast, art historian and author Sarah Hoover discusses what she would tell herself before becoming a mom, and honestly, it’s probably the advice most moms need.
“All the stages are shorter than you think, and any time you say, ‘I’m depressed/this sucks/I hate this’ … it really does end,” she said, before continuing .
“I did everything I could to create a life that I thought I wanted. I sacrificed parts of my personality to live in the city I thought I was, to date the man I thought I was, to have the job I thought I was… . .all of this that I thought was going to make me the person I wanted to be. I was like: I worked so hard, but having this kid shook me up and ruined it all.
“What I wish I knew is that none of this will be forever,” she concluded. “He won’t be a baby forever. He won’t be dependent on me forever. His needs will change. My needs will change. Even those phases that feel like an infinite time are really like three months. You can do that in three Do anything within the month and they will also get rewarded.
Forget “dream big” or “you are loved” or write your baby’s name in large font. Every baby’s nursery should have the picture “You can do anything for three months.” Because let’s be honest: Babies can’t read. You can, and that motivation might just help you get through the day.
