When you become a parent, you soon realise that when everyone was warning you about how much work it is, they weren’t lying.
Of course, being a mother is a gift and there are no words to describe the love you have for your little ones, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t come with trying moments when it feels like absolutely everything that could possibly go wrong does.
That is exactly what one father learned when he had to swap going to work for looking after his children, due to his wife suddenly being taken to hospital.
Brad Kearns from New South Wales, Australia, is used to working full-time while his wife, Sarah, stays at home to look after their two sons, Knox, 2, and Finn, six weeks. However, when Brad received a message saying that his wife had been rushed to hospital with liver failure, he was forced to step into her shoes and finally see for himself how hard it is to juggle family life full time.
In a Facebook post that has been liked 56,000 times, Brad describes the chaos he dealt with during his first day in the new role.
“Today I had to be the mum,” he starts.
“Sit back, relax, grab a drink, some popcorn, clear your schedule and hold onto your bootlaces because I’m about to take you on a ride that could only be likened to a backwards 100mph roller coaster that takes you through waterfalls of vomit, shit and lots of tears. And once you’re finished with yours you will move onto the children’s,”
Brad goes on to explain the difficulties he faces feeding and entertaining the children, as well as detailing the sleep deprivation, lack of showering time and disregard of housework - he allows the children to rip stickers off of his leg hairs and feast on cereal bars for breakfast because he is so overrun, things that stay-at-home parents are only far too familiar with.
“I have not even mastered the ability to keep my own personal hygiene as a mum let alone the ability to keep a house, educate children, prepare meals and even venture outside for activities,” he writes.
Although a handful of social media users were quick to comment that both parents should be familiar with these stressful moments, not just ‘mums’, most offered their support to Brad and thanked him for being so brutally honest.
One user commented: “Aww bless, had to laugh though haha. But what you described happens to us all, it gets better with time and learning a routine … never perfect, just better!”
Very wise words indeed!
While Sarah is recovering in hospital, Brad has set up a page called MumDad where he will be documenting his journey.
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