The truth is... Yes. At least, life as you knew it is now over. But that doesn't mean that your social life has to end altogether. It also doesn't mean that it will be worse than it was before, just different. You see, as a parent you have new responsibilities. Your time is not completely your own anymore.
You have a responsibility to your children now (and your spouse or significant other if you two are still together). You won't be able to stay up as late as you did, in order to give your children a good sleep schedule, and to make sure you can keep up. You will have to be with them as much as possible to have the greatest influence on their lives. What this really does is test the level of your other relationships.
Your friends will have to learn to be comfortable spending time with you and your kids. True friendships will weather the greatest storm, and can definitely handle slight alterations. If you lose touch with someone because you have children, they weren't much of a friend anyway. Anybody who deeply cares about you will continue seeking you out no matter what. You will also see that you are drawn more and more to other parents. You will expand your relationships to groups of people that you never would have met otherwise.
The things that you do for entertainment will change. The average rating of movie that you watch will become more targeted towards children. Can't tell you how many times I've seen, "My Little Pony." You never would have heard those words come out of my mouth in that order, before parenthood. The majority of the money that you spend will be on them, so you will have to find cheaper ways to have fun. You find yourself enjoying the park a lot more often.
The trick is to not be ashamed of your new status, but to invite the other people in your life to join you in your new endeavor. Let them know that you appreciate them just as much as you ever did, and let them know that you still want to spend time with them. Just help them understand that your kids are priority now. A real friend will not be offended because they have to play second fiddle to your kids.
One more tip... Discipline your little ones. If you have brats for kids because they always get what they want, and are never held accountable for their actions, nobody will want to spend time with them. Having well behaved kids will not only allow you to have more freedom to enjoy your life, but it will entice your friends to come over more often. Be prepared for a whole new existence. I'll be right here with you, living an exciting, social life.
You have a responsibility to your children now (and your spouse or significant other if you two are still together). You won't be able to stay up as late as you did, in order to give your children a good sleep schedule, and to make sure you can keep up. You will have to be with them as much as possible to have the greatest influence on their lives. What this really does is test the level of your other relationships.
Your friends will have to learn to be comfortable spending time with you and your kids. True friendships will weather the greatest storm, and can definitely handle slight alterations. If you lose touch with someone because you have children, they weren't much of a friend anyway. Anybody who deeply cares about you will continue seeking you out no matter what. You will also see that you are drawn more and more to other parents. You will expand your relationships to groups of people that you never would have met otherwise.
The things that you do for entertainment will change. The average rating of movie that you watch will become more targeted towards children. Can't tell you how many times I've seen, "My Little Pony." You never would have heard those words come out of my mouth in that order, before parenthood. The majority of the money that you spend will be on them, so you will have to find cheaper ways to have fun. You find yourself enjoying the park a lot more often.
The trick is to not be ashamed of your new status, but to invite the other people in your life to join you in your new endeavor. Let them know that you appreciate them just as much as you ever did, and let them know that you still want to spend time with them. Just help them understand that your kids are priority now. A real friend will not be offended because they have to play second fiddle to your kids.
One more tip... Discipline your little ones. If you have brats for kids because they always get what they want, and are never held accountable for their actions, nobody will want to spend time with them. Having well behaved kids will not only allow you to have more freedom to enjoy your life, but it will entice your friends to come over more often. Be prepared for a whole new existence. I'll be right here with you, living an exciting, social life.