> realizing at the end of it that all three weekends were exactly the same. Nothing new happens. You're not missing anything if you just stay home.
To be honest, I felt exactly like that when kids were small, especially when being at home with them. Every day same as one before, with only minor variation. Going for vacations meant doing exactly same things as at home, except in harder setup. Nothing ever ever happens either. And plus, you are isolated from other adults, falling into depression and loosing ability to socialize.
Genuinely, I am glad I have kids. But I am so glad that period ended.
IMO that adult isolation is a bit of a choice. What I've seen happen is other parents socialize with other parents with kids of a similar age. Two moms who both have babies visit each other and hang out, etc.
> What I've seen happen is other parents socialize with other parents with kids of a similar age. Two moms who both have babies visit each other and hang out, etc.
That does not make isolation choice. That makes some people finding friends despite suddenly seriously limited pool of options. You are starting from zero, not knowing anyone and loosing both actual existing friends and actual related hobbies. The only thing you have in common with most of those people is the similar age kid.
You need to be seriously extroverted to be able to create friendship out of nothing after you have seen each other twice on playground while also supervising the toddler. People here complain about loneliness while having incredibly easy situation compared to that, seriously.
My parents tried that and were fairly lonely during the early childhood years. They hated trading inane poop stories with other parents and longed to return to real adult conversations. If they wanted to discuss the specifics of child-rearing, they’d talk to each other or ask their own parents for advice.
You don't just have to talk about the kids, you can talk about other things? One thing I've noticed from the other side is my friends that got kids, it's hard to just visit, hang out and have some lunch even, even if we get it delivered.
To be honest, I felt exactly like that when kids were small, especially when being at home with them. Every day same as one before, with only minor variation. Going for vacations meant doing exactly same things as at home, except in harder setup. Nothing ever ever happens either. And plus, you are isolated from other adults, falling into depression and loosing ability to socialize.
Genuinely, I am glad I have kids. But I am so glad that period ended.