Because becoming a parent is one of the biggest identity shifts a person can experience.
Many parents report feeling that parts of themselves – their independence, hobbies, spontaneity, and personal ambitions – became harder to access after children arrived.
Missing aspects of your former life doesn’t mean you wish your child didn’t exist.
It means you are grieving a version of yourself that once had more space.
Healthy parenting includes slowly learning how to make room for both identities – the parent and the individual.