I’m writing this post while in a bit of a haze.
Actually, I’ve written all the posts on this site while in a bit of a haze. So if you find any typos, please excuse them, because I’m a dad of longstanding.
Let me explain.
At least someone is getting some rest.
All the books and advice on parenting emphasize that the first year of parenthood can be as hellish as it is joyful, mainly because of the rest you’re not going to get enough of.
Newborns sleep at odd times, and you and your spouse will be at their beck and call at all hours. After a few months of this, you become addled and paranoid. And if you’re still married by the end, you deserve a medal. (Where can I pick that up, by the way? Never mind.)
It tends to get a bit better after about 12 months or so, when kids begin to develop sleep patterns you can count on. In the meantime, nap time – blessed nap time – gives parents the opportunity to either grab some sleep themselves or to do grownup stuff, like read the newspaper or watch a movie that’s neither animated nor involves puppets.
But the torture continues after their first birthdays, so that by the time your child is three of four, your intellectual capacity is probably 70 or 80 per cent of what it once was, and your brain may never be the same again.
That’s the bad news. Continue reading
