We asked our community what you wish you knew before becoming a parent. Here is what you said.

Parenthood is a mix of joy, exhaustion, wonder, and a kind of love you cannot explain until you feel it. We asked our community to share the one thing they wish they knew before becoming a parent. Your answers were honest, funny, and beautifully real.

Here are 25 truths from parents who have lived it:

1. Every stage has its own hard and its own gift. Neither stays forever.
2. Prioritize your marriage and make time for intimacy. If you do not, it can fade fast.
3. Once you figure a stage out, they have already started a new one.
4. Never be the first one to let go of a hug.
5. Eating in silence is a luxury.
6. You are not meant to enjoy every moment, but you will miss more than you expect.
7. It is okay to ask for help. You are not supposed to do this alone.
8. Sleep is not guaranteed and that is normal.
9. Your relationship changes, but it can become stronger than ever.
10. You will feel like you are messing up, but your kids will still think you are the best person in the world.
11. Comparison steals joy. Every kid develops differently.
12. The days feel long, but the years truly fly.
13. Toddlers are not giving you a hard time. They are having a hard time.
14. You do not have to be perfect. You just have to be present.
15. Postpartum is real. Give yourself grace and support.
16. Kids grow up fast, but even at 30 they still need healthy parents.
17. Kids remember how they felt with you, not how perfect things looked.
18. You will miss carrying them, even when they feel heavy now.
19. You can love your kids with your whole heart and still need time alone.
20. Routines help everyone breathe easier, including you.
21. You learn as you go. No one actually has it figured out.
22. Your identity shifts, but you find yourself again in a new way.
23. Quality over quantity really does matter.
24. The small moments become the big memories.
25. Love expands in ways you do not see coming.