Being a Parent is Awesome

In a follow up to an article that I wrote previously, I’m writing this article to clarify that I actually do like being a parent. Will it ever get easier? It really depends a lot on you more than your child. If you’re looking for total freedom, and all you can think about is that, then it’s going to be a long several years. On the other hand, if you’re spending time trying to figure out how to balance parenting and your own desires and goals, things will get better.

I’m not going to lie and make this article make it sound like parenting is the best thing ever. There are times that are really not fun as a parent. However, being a parent is also something that can make you very proud. Kids will do some pretty amazing things, and realizing the hand that you had in those accomplishments can really help you to put into perspective what’s truly important in life.

As an example, if your child picks a book up and starts to read words from it, you can be proud of the work that you’ve done to help them get there. You may have read that book hundreds of times to them, and you were most likely completely sick of it. However, for your child, it was an opportunity to learn something new, and to learn new words. They were paying attention, and they are now beginning to read. 

There are many other milestones that children will reach, things they’ll learn, and things that they’ll do that will make you feel like parenting is the best thing in the world. Yes, there will be similar situations that they make you as mad as they ever have before as well, but there’s no way to get only the good, and not the bad. You’re going to have to figure out how you best deal with the negative side of parenting.

To make parenting even better, trying to find the right balance between spending time with your kids, and spending time on yourself is extremely important. Finding time everyday for yourself will make parenting all the easier. If you don’t currently have a plan on how to make that happen, then now is the time to start. Figure out how you can have time everyday to do the things that you want - it doesn’t have to be hours on end, but 15 minutes of time for yourself is extremely important, even if your kids are parked in front of the TV at that time.

Beyond the milestones, being able to get a hug from your child, and perhaps even a kiss, is one of the best feelings ever. After a long and rough day, a hug from your kid can really make those tough times seem much easier.

Perhaps the best part of parenting is being able to see your child genuinely happy - a smile when they get something that they wanted can melt away a ton of the sadness for most anyone. Kids will often have much more natural reactions to things. It’s hard to explain the feeling, but you’ll be smiling and truly happy inside when those moments happen.

Being a parent is awesome. Not all of the time, but enough of the time that you can actually find joy in it. Your kids are what make it worth it.