15 Things You Don’t Know You Would Be Spending a Lot of Time Doing as a Parent

Parenting is life's most rewarding challenge. With your child's birth, your whole world shifts as you devote every moment to their care. Despite the joy, it's time-consuming. Here's 15 unexpected parenting tasks.

Preparing Meals

As a parent, you're always cooking and preparing meals. Between breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, meal prep and clean up consumes a large part of your day.

Laundry

Parenting means non-stop laundry; from baby spit-ups, toddlers in messes, to dirty sportswear of older kids. Remember to fold and put the clothes away.

Doctor Visits

Being a parent involves many doctor trips for checkups or during sickness. With more children, appointments multiply. These visits are crucial for child health and growth but time-consuming.

Playtime

Spending quality time playing with your child is essential for their development and bonding, regardless of the time spent on games or pretend plays. The joy it brings them is worth it.

Cleaning

As a parent, you're always tidying after kids - wiping surfaces, picking up toys, handling spills, accidents, or messy art projects.

Bedtime Routine

Bedtime routines can be pleasant with stories and cuddles, but may become time-consuming if your child struggles to sleep or is a night owl.

Helping With Schoolwork

As your child grows, you'll spend more time helping them academically. Aiding with assignments or preparing for exams, parenthood often means being both educator and mentor.

Extracurricular Activities

If your child is in extracurricular activities, you'll often shuttle them to practices, games, and competitions, possibly even volunteering with the team.

Planning and Organizing

Having a growing family requires excellent organization to manage increasing schedules, appointments, and events to ensure everyone's in the right place.

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping for a family requires time and planning. It often involves multiple weekly store trips, crowded aisles with kids, and hours of menu planning and crafting grocery lists.

Bathing and Grooming

Babies need regular baths. As they grow, you'll guide them in brushing teeth, combing hair and other grooming tasks. Cutting nails can be tough with a wriggly toddler.

Teaching Life Skills

Parenting goes beyond meeting basic needs; it includes teaching crucial life skills like tying shoelaces, brushing teeth, bike riding and more as a child grows.

Shopping for Clothes and Supplies

Kids grow fast; as a parent, keeping up with their constant change in clothing sizes is important. You'll shop for new clothes, school supplies, sports gear, and toys.

Attending School Events

Being involved in your child's education entails attending school events like parent-teacher conferences and class parties. Despite being time-consuming, they're vital for staying informed.

Emotional Support

As a parent, you’ll spend significant time giving emotional support to your child, guiding them through tough emotions and being a trusted confidante.

More From Inspired by Insiders

Generational differences can make communication between Baby Boomers and Millennials difficult. Find out 11 things Boomers should avoid saying here.

10 Things to Never Buy at a Thrift Store

Thrift stores have advantages and pitfalls. Avoid ten items, despite low prices, to prevent costly mistakes. 10 Things to Never Buy at a Thrift Store Article by Inspired by Insiders.