These Parents Are Sharing Pictures Of Their Lives Before And After Having Kids
A lot changes after you have kids. You can't hang out with your friends whenever you want, you can't get drunk on a weeknight, you lose a lot of your independence, and of course, you build a beautiful family.
See, it's not all doom and gloom, but if you're looking to have kids at some point in the future, it's important that you understand what you're getting yourself into. These before and after pictures illustrate the truth of parenting.
No More Nights Out
Back in the day these two used to get dressed up and hit the town. Now they fall asleep on the couch while nursing their adorable baby.
It's a different kind of glamorous.
She Looks Tired
This girl used to be able to spend hours doing her hair and makeup and picking out the perfect dress.
Now she spends hours trying to get her son to go to sleep.
Sad Girl Summer
This woman went from having hot girl summers to having sad girl summers. She's sitting in a dark room trying to get her kid to sleep with tears in her eyes.
Looks like parenting to me.
No Personal Space
This woman is never going to be alone in a photo ever again. Her kids just don't get the concept of personal space.
Sometimes mommy needs some alone time too.
From Chef To Dad
This guy used to be the most organized chef on the block.
Now he's got a baby to take care of, so he has less time to perfect a Hollandaise sauce.
Foot Face
I bet when this woman got pregnant she didn't expect to have little feet in her face all the time.
She barely even notices them anymore. She's used to it by now.
Time For Self-Care
Even though this mom is insanely busy, she still finds time to get in some self-care. You can still wear a face mask when your kid is screaming.
You might as well clean out your pores while you're pumping.
A Different Life
This woman's life looks so different from what it used to look like.
She used to chug beers, and now there's a kid with a dirty face sitting on her head.
When You Have A Girl
This dad used to be the macho-est man of them all—then he had a little girl.
Now she runs the show and if she tells her dad to put on a tutu, he's going to put on a tutu.
The Shoes Tell The Story
This mom doesn't have the time or the patience for high heels anymore. She's all about those fuzzy slippers now that she has kids to take care of.
She's living the mom life.
It's All A Blur
Kids grow up in the blink of an eye, so enjoy your time with them at each precious stage of life.
Pretty soon you won't even miss when you used to be able to go out.
She Looks Tired
You're not supposed to tell people that they look tired, but this mom looks mighty tired. She looks like she's about to fall asleep at any moment.
At least the baby's sleeping.
No More Marathons
There is no way that this guy has time to train for marathons anymore. He has a half-naked toddler to look after.
Maybe when the kid grows up a bit he can get back to running.
Getting Punched Out
This guy was literally a boxing champion before he became a dad. Now he can't even dodge a baby's punches.
He needs to get back in the ring. He's getting rusty.
A Different Kind Of Dance
This woman used to be a dancer. She doesn't do much dancing anymore.
She's too busy making sure that the house is clean and that her kid doesn't do something stupid.
A New Adventure
This guy used to love going on spontaneous adventures. Now the only adventure he's on is the adventure of being a dad.
It's a different kind of journey. It looks like he's enjoying the ride.
Double Trouble
Having twins, whether you're a new mom or a seasoned veteran, is a whole new level of stress. Even if you have the best-behaved babies in the world, there are two of them now, which means everything is significantly more difficult than it was before.
You went from a young, carefree, fun-loving 20-something to someone who hasn't done laundry in two weeks and probably hasn't washed her hair in that long either.
Fashionable Choices
You tell yourself you're not going to be the dad who wears embarrassing outfits and lets their kids dress them up, but once your kids are born you can't say no to them.
Then you tell yourself that you're going to draw the line and not let your wife take any pictures of you, but you see that happy look on your daughter's face and you just can't resist.
Sorry Barry
Look at Barry in the first picture—so happy and unsuspecting. He didn't realize he was about to be bumped down the totem pole.
Barry in the second picture? He's been traumatized, he understands how life works now, and he's not happy about it.
Drinking Buddies
These friends went from going to get drinks on a Friday night to being a bartender for their babies.
This probably isn't the wild nights they imagined themselves having in the future but at least they have a buddy to laugh about it with!
Learning To Multitask
A big part of parenting is learning to multitask. If you're not good at it already, you're going to learn to at least be passably good at it after your kids are born because you have no choice. If you can't multitask, you'll never get anything done.
This dad has clearly learned that lesson, which is why he swapped out his second drink for a baby, but still has the one to sip on.
Sharing Is Caring
Sharing is caring, and your children don't care about the fact that you don't want to share every meal you eat with them.
If there's food in the house that you don't want to share with your children, you better not let them know you have it.
Co-Sleeping Is Going Great, Thanks For Asking
Cosleeping is an option that a lot of parents choose for their children, but it's not all rainbows and sunshine.
The children love it, but having children in your bed every night is not great for any spouse who actually wants to sleep next to their partner and doesn't want to wake up with feet in their face every other morning,
Modeling Good Behavior
She went from modeling on rooftops to being a role model for her children.
Someday her kids will be old enough to appreciate how pretty mummy looked in those pictures before they were born, but they'll also be old enough to appreciate how important the job she does now is too.
Maybe The Beard Was A Bad Idea
The beard seemed like a great idea as you were growing it out. It makes you look a little older, you feel like you've embraced your role as a dad, plus you get to annoy your wife with it.
The problem you didn't think of is that it also means you have more hair for your children to pull on or for your children to attach things like hair clips to.
These Women Require Even More Attention
If you thought that women were needy before, wait until you meet your daughters.
You get to spend all day around women you love, but they're going to ask a lot more of you.
They Know When You're Unprepared
Kids are perceptive and they can pick up on your energy, especially in moments when you don't want them to.
Just look at the judgment on this tiny little girl's face. She knows that she's got mom wrapped around her finger and that she's the boss in that household.
You Can Tell Them About Your Glory Days
You might have moments where you wish that you could still be living out your "glory days" like this dad who used to be in a rock band, but now you've got children which means you have people to tell about those supposed glory days.
While they lie on the couch with you squirming and crying, you can tell them all about how daddy used to be cool, but now he spends his nights getting his hair pulled by a tiny child.
You Live Your Life By Their Schedule
You're going to spend a lot of your time as a parent making sure that your kids have routine in their lives and a schedule to follow, but that doesn't mean that you're going to have a schedule.
It's just going to be chaos for you.
Their Safety Is The Priority
Play time can be a little rough depending on whether you have boys or girls. And safety standards? Oh no, we don't have those in this household, and you probably won't either.
As long as your child is safe and they're happy, you're probably going to be willing to let them put a bag over your head just so you can get a few seconds of silence, or to see them smile.