New Year’s Eve used to be my favorite celebration of the year, but that was before I had kids. Now, I find myself dreading it. The traditional late-night festivities we once cherished feel like a distant memory. Here’s a look at the reality of New Year’s Eve with children:
- Finding Childcare: Securing a babysitter for New Year’s Eve is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Unless you’ve arranged one months in advance, you’re likely out of luck. Even if you do find someone, expect to pay inflated rates due to high demand.
- Wardrobe Dilemmas: You may find yourself staring at your closet, contemplating if a sparkly top paired with yoga pants is a suitable outfit. Spoiler: it’s probably not.
- Exhaustion Sets In Early: By 9 PM, fatigue hits hard, but you must muster the energy to stay awake for at least three more hours while pretending to enjoy yourself. Maintaining an energetic facade is more draining than childbirth.
- Answering Awkward Questions: Prepare for well-meaning individuals to ask about your New Year’s resolutions. You might find yourself wishing “survival” was socially acceptable to admit. Other resolutions might include shedding that baby weight or trying to be nicer to your partner.
- Understanding the Cost: The financial breakdown of New Year’s Eve can be staggering. Between babysitting, dining out, and late-night snacks, you might spend a small fortune and then regret all the sensible purchases you could have made with that cash.
- Jealousy of Childless Friends: When you go out with friends who don’t have kids, their boundless energy might make you envious. They can sleep in until noon if they choose!
- Conversations with Other Parents: If you’re with fellow parents, you’ll likely end up discussing your children all night, realizing that staying home might have been just as enjoyable. Alternatively, it could turn into a wild night out, leading your partner to question the wisdom of letting you leave the house.
- Fireworks Anxiety: At midnight, the sound of fireworks can induce a panic about waking your sleeping children, leading to some “overprotective mom” instincts kicking in.
- Regrettable Social Media Posts: Those 12:03 AM selfies may seem like a great idea at the moment, but you’ll likely regret them come morning.
- Early Wake-Up Calls: Regardless of how late you stayed up, you can expect a 5:45 AM wake-up call from your children. It’s as if they have an internal clock set to wake up early on this particular day.
- Desperate for Coffee: The morning after, you’ll crave coffee and aspirin, only to discover you’re out of one or both. At that moment, trading anything for a large cup of coffee may feel like the only option.
- Mom Guilt: The morning after, reflecting on how you spent your evening might lead to guilt. You may find yourself wishing you had opted for a cozy night in with your kids, enjoying sparkling cider and Disney Junior.
- Noisemaker Overload: The children will delight in their New Year’s noisemakers for weeks, driving you to the brink of insanity until they’re finally tossed out in a fit of frustration.
- Planning for Next Year: By the end of the night, you’ll be mentally crafting your excuse for next year’s New Year’s Eve—something along the lines of, “Sorry, we’ll be staying in. We couldn’t find a sitter. But enjoy yourselves!”
Ultimately, the best place to be on New Year’s Eve is wherever you feel most at ease. For many, that’s at home in cozy attire with family.
Here’s to a fulfilling New Year filled with the joys of parenthood, a bit more kindness towards our partners, and perhaps getting our lives organized—whatever that may entail. If not, there’s always next year.
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