We just had a massive snowstorm over the weekend and this summed up exactly how I’ve been feeling with an 8 month old. The swings at the park literally touch the top of the snowbank and he’s too little to play so I’ve been doing a ton of carrier walks while listening to your pod as a bit of an escape! I’d love to hear and read more posts like this. It really resonates!
I had my baby last summer and felt much the same way you did. It was too hot to spend much time outside, even just on our balcony, and I felt like I missed summer completely because I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of eat-sleep-cry (mine and hers). That powerful combination of exhaustion and anxiety when you realize another night is on the way is overwhelming. And as spring approaches, I find I'm steeling myself for another season of being indoors... even though, theoretically, it will be easier with an almost-one-year-old who can better regulate her temperature and communicate with me.
LOVED the essay. I'm a mom of two toddlers living in the Northeast. Claire put so many of my previously unexplored feelings of angst and frustration into words. Thank you for this!
Gorgeous essay: totally agree that cosy becomes claustrophobia when you have little kids. But I’m here to tell you that you can regain some love of winter when your kids are teens and your personal space is once again sacred. Nothing lasts forever xxxx
I read this piece ready to rebut every argument and Claire, your beautiful writing took me right back to that first winter (ok, year) with a newborn, and the year with a newborn and a toddler, and the year with two toddlers.... and I remembered the coat shuffle, and the baby wearing-but-how-do-you-wear-a-jacket, and the endlessly ripped off socks and judgmental stares from strangers.
And now that they’re 6 and 9 I’m starting to be able to recover that sense of coziness, but I don’t think it’ll be the same ever. I still lean into fall HARD, because I’m in the South and I will always detest the buggy, 90* + 90% humidity days, but summer also brings poolside picnics, outings with friends, movies that my kids can actually sit through and enjoy, beer gardens with chalk and outdoor toys.
Anyway. Gorgeous writing, as always. Thanks for walking me down memory lane.
What a lovely piece to read and thanks for sharing. I have always thought of myself as a fall/winter person who excels at "being cozy," however I am realizing that as a married childless woman who has spent her entire life only experiencing Southern California winters (and one now in New Mexico) I don't really know what I'm talking about, Ha!
Also, really looking forward to if you do another episode on motherhood/non-motherhood. I loved your other series of episodes and would love to hear more. Keep 'em coming!
My son is almost eight months old, and I told my husband yesterday (after doing the daily dance of wrestling a coat on a crying, squirmy baby who WANTS to go outside, but does not want to wear a coat, or hat, or any clothes at all), this might be the first time in my life that I'm actually looking forward to summer. Never thought it would be me.
We just had a massive snowstorm over the weekend and this summed up exactly how I’ve been feeling with an 8 month old. The swings at the park literally touch the top of the snowbank and he’s too little to play so I’ve been doing a ton of carrier walks while listening to your pod as a bit of an escape! I’d love to hear and read more posts like this. It really resonates!
Really loved this piece. Thank you for speaking so honestly about motherhood.
I had my baby last summer and felt much the same way you did. It was too hot to spend much time outside, even just on our balcony, and I felt like I missed summer completely because I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of eat-sleep-cry (mine and hers). That powerful combination of exhaustion and anxiety when you realize another night is on the way is overwhelming. And as spring approaches, I find I'm steeling myself for another season of being indoors... even though, theoretically, it will be easier with an almost-one-year-old who can better regulate her temperature and communicate with me.
All that is to say: I felt this, too. And I'm holding on to the hope that it will get better. Thank you for sharing the realness of parenting a small human. Between this post and the most recent ParentData post (https://open.substack.com/pub/emilyoster/p/telling-the-truth-about-marriage?r=mpxj2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web), I am feeling really seen this week. <3
Winter-loving Mom of a toddler! Absolutely loved this and identified with every word. Thank you Claire!! I feel so seen!
LOVED the essay. I'm a mom of two toddlers living in the Northeast. Claire put so many of my previously unexplored feelings of angst and frustration into words. Thank you for this!
Gorgeous essay: totally agree that cosy becomes claustrophobia when you have little kids. But I’m here to tell you that you can regain some love of winter when your kids are teens and your personal space is once again sacred. Nothing lasts forever xxxx
I read this piece ready to rebut every argument and Claire, your beautiful writing took me right back to that first winter (ok, year) with a newborn, and the year with a newborn and a toddler, and the year with two toddlers.... and I remembered the coat shuffle, and the baby wearing-but-how-do-you-wear-a-jacket, and the endlessly ripped off socks and judgmental stares from strangers.
And now that they’re 6 and 9 I’m starting to be able to recover that sense of coziness, but I don’t think it’ll be the same ever. I still lean into fall HARD, because I’m in the South and I will always detest the buggy, 90* + 90% humidity days, but summer also brings poolside picnics, outings with friends, movies that my kids can actually sit through and enjoy, beer gardens with chalk and outdoor toys.
Anyway. Gorgeous writing, as always. Thanks for walking me down memory lane.
What a lovely piece to read and thanks for sharing. I have always thought of myself as a fall/winter person who excels at "being cozy," however I am realizing that as a married childless woman who has spent her entire life only experiencing Southern California winters (and one now in New Mexico) I don't really know what I'm talking about, Ha!
Also, really looking forward to if you do another episode on motherhood/non-motherhood. I loved your other series of episodes and would love to hear more. Keep 'em coming!
My son is almost eight months old, and I told my husband yesterday (after doing the daily dance of wrestling a coat on a crying, squirmy baby who WANTS to go outside, but does not want to wear a coat, or hat, or any clothes at all), this might be the first time in my life that I'm actually looking forward to summer. Never thought it would be me.