We all know that parenting is hard but that is pretty much all we share with our friends who are about to dive head first into the world of parenthood with their first baby. In one way, it's unfair of veteran parents to simply exclaim things like, "Oh just wait until you see what it's like" or " You can't imagine what it's like until you have kids of your own."

I have two children and I can absolutely guarantee that it's harder with three, four or more but I know that my life with two kids has been dealt it's fair share of hardships, difficulties and dare I say horrors. A friend of mine has recently had her first baby and she summed up the transition from no kids to one perfectly with one sentence - "It's a total culture shock." And she's absolutely right. It's almost impossible to imagine what being a parent is like until you become one and even though you may read articles like this, nothing ever prepares you for this drastic change in your life.

Parenting comes with its fair share of worries and unknowns and while some of you may nod in agreement with this article, others may find it somewhat negative but the truth of the matter is that parenting is hard for so many reasons. In this honest article I'm simply elaborating on this fact and openly expressing how difficult parenting can be with the changes in your daily life.

But remember, there are always solutions to these difficulties and working through them will make parenting that little bit easier.

15 The Unbelievable Frustration

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Personally, I never understood just how incredibly frustrating parenting could be. They're just little kids, right? And I was a kid at one time in my life and I wasn't a handful, right? Wrong! At the end of the day, we're raising little people with huge personalities. Little people who are only learning about and discovering their world. They often don't play by the rules and verge off on a tangent that goes against all of your plans. Hence the frustration.

It's a type of frustration you've probably never felt before and it seems to consume your entire body. From babies who incessantly cry, to toddlers who won't eat anything unless its white, all the way up to teenagers who grump about the house refusing to listen or do as you ask.

Frustration comes from the constant need to repeat yourself over and over again to these little human beings who quite simply don't want to listen to you. The frustration you feel can be overpowering but if you learn to control it, this can be one of the hidden horrors of parenting that you can get over. It takes incredible willpower to ease your frustration but it's worth it for a healthy mind and happy home life.

14 Emergencies And 911 Calls

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Children are notoriously accident prone. The job of parenting should really come with a crash course in every single medical procedure ever on record! We need to have our wits about us when it comes to kids. They don't have a self preservation or protection mode and they will throw themselves head first into some of the most dangerous situations. Unlike the adult mind, a kid won't assess a situation first and spot the dangers or pitfalls. They are simply fearless.

You don't always think about having to effectively be a nurse and doctor as well as a parent when your baby is born, but when they get their running feet, you will see how easily they can get themselves into trouble.

It's not a bad idea attending a few first aid courses for babies and children when you become a parent because being prepared is half the battle. Knowing what to do in an emergency could save lives. And knowing the dangers that face your family in the home and outside will help you preempt or avoid dangerous situations.

13 Paralyzing Anxiety

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Anxiety is a condition that many of us suffer from. Parental anxiety brings it to a different level as it's often triggered by your children and your fears. Anxiety is when we take the worries of the world on to our shoulders. We worry, unnecessarily, about events which translates itself into fear. With these feelings often come the physical responses which include a fast heart rate, nausea and shakiness. "Anxiety is what you feel when there is no real danger." - my therapist.ie

Anxiety is one of those reactions and hidden horrors of parenting that many of us don't talk about because we don't want to appear weak. We want the world to believe that we are in control and know what we're doing. Well believe it or not, many of us at one point or another, through parenting, suffer anxiety and fear related anxiety. We don't always have it all together and we really need to let others know. Chances are we're not alone since many of us, at some stage or another, feel overwhelmed and out of control. There is not necessarily an easy fix to parental anxiety but talking to your partner or a doctor may help to get you back on track.

12 Lack Of Time

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One of the most frustrating parts of parenting, which could send you into an incredible meltdown, is the lack of time. There simply is not enough hours in the day to get everything done. Whether you have one kid or ten, babies or teenagers, your daily routine, if you are even able to have one, includes a torturous amount of running around from room to room trying to remember why you went in there in the first place.

So the house has gone to wrack and ruin. Who cares once the kids are fed right? Personally, I care. I tend to try to keep my home in order so that I can keep my mind in order but it doesn't always work out like this since time runs away on me. Between getting the kids up and ready and out of the door to making dinners and beds and remembering to feed the cat, we are overloaded with things to do, just to get by.

The only solution to this incredible lack of time is to be amazingly organised which comes naturally to some and is most certainly a difficulty for others.

11 Incessant Worry

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Worrying almost non stop about your children pretty much comes with the territory of being a parent. We are naturally ingrained with a talent to incessantly worry about our children the moment they are born. From their physical and mental health to their education and future, we will always worry.

What makes parenting harder is the fact that, as our children get older, and as their personalities and independence develops, they tend to become more distant with us. This distance means that we don't always know what is going on in their lives and as we all know, teenagers are rarely forthcoming with information.

Being open, honest and non-judgemental can help your children to trust you and open up more with you. This means of course that your worries, anxieties and fears are hopefully eased... but not always of course.

10 Severe Loneliness

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Sadly, being a parent and more often than not, a mother, can be a very lonely experience as we can feel isolated and alone while on maternity leave or if we become a stay at home parent. Being with our newborn babies and our children is a privilege but as we've said already it can be frustrating, so adult time is almost always a necessity. But finding that time is not all that easy between babies needing to be fed, naps and school picks.

As we've also said, parents are very time poor, and the one thing that tends to go out the window is "me time" as the list of chores and duties mount up. But for our sanity, it's important to take some time for ourselves when we can. Whether that is a trip to the gym or a coffee with a friend, we need that connection to the outside world to feel like ourselves again. Getting out of the house is often difficult with young babies but essential. Meeting friends, family or joining "Mum and Baby" groups will help to curb that isolation and loneliness we often feel and remind us that we are more than Mum or Dad.

9 All The Poop

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Yes, I'm sorry but this is a parenting horror that is simply a fact of life. There will be poop. Lots of poop. And it won't just be in the diaper. No. That poop will end up on clothes, on walls, on tiny hands and toes and God forbid, it may even be ingested by little people.

We all laugh as we share horror stories about how the dreaded poonami occurred in the shopping centre or how Little Megan whipped her diaper off to colour the walls. It happens and if it hasn't happened to you yet, the chances are high that it may happen sometime soon.

So, be prepared for the poop invasion and keep a bountiful supply of wipes on hand, have hot water in the tank for those middle of the night explosions that will only be washed away by an impromptu bath, and have patience. Because Lord knows you will need it when the poop monster rears his ugly head.

8 Serious Depression

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Postnatal depression not only affects the mother but can also be experienced by the father. This is something not a lot of people are aware of but it's important to get the message out there as there are times when a new father is confused by the low and despondent moods he sometimes feels.

Postnatal depression is not something any of us what to go through but the reality is that it affects more women and men than we know. I suffered on my first baby and worse again on my second. As with feelings of parental anxiety, depression can often be seen as a taboo subject as we are afraid to admit that we are suffering with our mental health. But we must remember that it is incredibly common and nothing to be ashamed about. Getting help is important. Whether that is in the form of medication or relaxation and self help techniques to get you through this dark phase of your life. For some it lasts a matter of weeks and others months or years. But it does not have to afflict your life on a daily basis. You can and will get through the depression and find yourself again, once you are open and honest with close ones and seek help.

7 Loads Of Guilt

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Whether you like it or not you are going to go through some major guilt moments as a parent. The biggest and worst guilty feelings you've ever had. There is absolutely nothing like a small child looking up at you with sad eyes. The guilt you will feel is immeasurable and there is almost nothing you can do about it.

Parental guilt is not something new or a millennial fad. It's been around for or centuries but in some ways it's amplified because it feels as though there are more things to feel guilty about. Tv, video games, phone use, poor diet, amd an excessive amount of available candy. Guilt can hit you because you've had to say no for the hundredth time that day, you've shouted because of frustration, or for not being able to afford certain things, and even for resenting your children at times which can happen.

It will happen to you. You will be awash with guilt but it will pass. It's a horrible feeling and you may feel like the worst parent in the world but know that you are doing what is best for your children and we all have those guilty pangs at times.

6 Work Life Balance

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There is absolutely no solution to the long standing battle of a successful work life balance. You either work and miss your children dearly during your working hours, wondering if you are doing them right by sending them to a childminder. Or you stay at home and crave to have a job that will see you contributing financially to the household income.

In any situation, something has to give and something will be left out or suffer. At the end of the day, you must do what is best for you and your family. Time is always precious with your children but you must remember that it's quality over quantity. You will more than likely spend years wondering if you have done right by working or not. You will wonder if it was all worth it. You will torment yourself with trying to find that perfect work life balance and you may eventually find a solution that fits.  It's one of those catch 22 problems, you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't.

5 Constantly Questioning

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You will, I guarantee you, question yourself and question your child. Constantly. Are you a good Mum or Dad? Does your child love you? Can you do any better for your child? Should you work or at home? What school should they go to? Did you do this or that right? Why do they act like that? What are you doing wrong? It's completely normal to question your parenting and wonder if your parenting style is the right one.

There is quite a lot of judgement thrown at parents and the perfect Mom is always around the corner telling you what to do. Don't listen to her. As loud and as strong as her voice is, you have to trust yourself and trust your instincts when it comes to being a parent. It is bad enough that you will spend your days questioning yourself, you don't need to compare yourself to others. At the end of the day, look at your children and think, "Are they happy?" Chances are you will smile and say yes. You're doing great Mum and Dad!

4 Childcare

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Pondering and deciding on childcare is one of those parenting horrors that seems never ending. And there is always a day when someone or something throws a spanner in the works and all hell breaks loose. Deciding on where to send your child, and with whom, when you are returning to work is one of the hardest decisions you will ever make. You will question whether you are making the right decision and you are guaranteed to feel guilty about whatever decision you make.

But of course it is a decision you have to make unless you become a stay at home parent. Take it from, I've done both and neither is an easy decision. You will consistently be wracked with all sorts of guilt but I'm sorry to say, that childcare, guilt and worrying if you're doing the right thing, is all part and parcel of being a parent!

3 Financial Horrors

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There's no two ways about this. The equation is fairly simply, having kids equals zero money. Chances are that, hopefully, you will be able to afford the roof over your head and the butter in your fridge but the usual luxuries you afforded yourself before you had kids are well and truly left on the shelf. The weekend getaways and the Friday night takeaways, the golf club membership and the magazine subscription, may all have to be cancelled when your baby takes over your bank account.

It may very well shock you just how expensive babies and children are. Add on to that the fact that you are solely responsible for them until they are out of their teenage years, thats quite a lot of money to be spent on them over the years. The cost of raising a child in the United States until they are 17 is estimated to be $235,000. Ouch! I'm not going to lie, you will notice the burden a child puts on your wallet but would you really be without them just so you can have that extra holiday a year or the brand new car instead of your ten year old one? Maybe don't answer that straight away!

2 Growing Up Too Quickly

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You may have heard your sister or best friend casually say, "They grow up so fast." But I'm here to tell you that fast is not the word. In one moment you have a newborn and the next she is crawling away from you. Your preschooler, learning her colours and numbers is suddenly getting ready for her prom. And your college graduate is quickly married and putting your grandchild in your arms.

This is something sleep deprived and frustrated parents are not aware of or can't imagine that it is true. When your eyes are stinging and you can't see past the night feeds and the shrill cry of a newborn, when you can't imagine that this stage will be over in a blink of an eye, trust me, it disappears. This is one of the most terrifying and saddest things about parenting because you can never get those moments back again. Once they have learned and moved on from every stage in their lives, you must move on too. Cherish every moment as much as you can. And if you find yourself struggling through a toddler tantrum, know that it too will end. They are only young for a very, very short time.

1 Future Worries

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You can not live their lives for them. Your children must make their own mistakes, suffer their own hardships and experience their first heartbreak. As their parent, you can only be there for them to help pick up the pieces when life doesn't go to plan. You can't protect them from a downfall or expect them to walk away from hurtful situations unscathed. They must make their own choices and while you can guide them and teach them, you must trust them to make the right choices.

A good parent may be able to preempt a situation or decision that will hurt their child but all they can do is help them through the decision. They can't force them to make the right choice but can guide them towards it. One of the hardest things about parenting is not being able to protect them all of the time. But remember they must live their own lives. With you behind them, edging them towards the right path, you have nothing to worry about.