Pros of Parenting

If you have never been a parent, or are just starting out, you may think that parenting is all a lot of work. That is not the case. While being a parent is definitely a lot of work, there are still a lot of great things about being a parent. It’s not all glory though, and most of those things are things that bring joy inside and to you, so it’s not always obvious. Below is a list of several of the pros that most parents encounter.

Unconditional love

Being a parent means that you get to experience a unique kind of love - unconditional. You can be mad at your child while at the same time wanting the very best for them. They can yell and scream at you and you’ll still love them. It’s hard to explain how much you’ll love your child without experiencing it yourself. While it’s possible to no longer love a child, it would take some pretty incredible acts to get to that point. You will love your child through all the ups and downs that you experience with them.

Relive life through your child’s eyes

You most certainly have experiences from your childhood that you remember fondly. Having a child allows you to re-experience those again but through your child. That doesn’t mean that you should control how they act in these situations, but rather that you get to feel some of the same feelings and you’ll be able to understand how your child is feeling as well. You may find that some of these experiences are very different as an adult, and at the time may have seemed life altering, when in reality they weren’t.

True meaning in life

Having kids gives you a true meaning in life. You’re not searching for something to grab onto and point your direction each day. Your child and family are part of the main reasons for you to live and to try your best. Raising a child can be hard, but the unconditional love that you feel for them will fuel you to want to be the very best you can be. You can certainly have meaning in life without kids as well, but having a child means that you don’t have to search for it.

Work is less important

For many people that don’t have kids, work becomes a critical and important part of their life - there’s a good chance that it’s one of their goals to be successful in their career. If you have kids, work will often take a secondary meaning in life. While you’ll still want to be successful and strive to do so at work, you’ll have your family and child to fall back to. After a stressful day at work, you come home and can stop worrying about work (and probably start worrying about kids instead).

Provide joy to someone through simple acts

With a child, you can make someone smile through very simple actions. Give them a hug, tickle them, or give them a treat that they want. Kids don’t require a ton of work to make them happy and to give you a smile - they are usually able to show joy for very simple things. This is one of the best ways to help yourself feel better about the tough times that you go through - you have someone to love and give to.

You will impact someone for their lifetime

Whether you do a poor job or a great job as a parent, you will be influencing your child for the rest of their life. Parents generally want the very best for their kids and will do anything they can for them to make their lives better. It’s the everyday teachings and actions that ultimately will shape what type of person your child becomes though, so it’s important to always strive to do better and to be the best that you can be.

You will be loved

Similar to the way that you have an unconditional love for your child, they will love you. Assuming you do a mostly decent job as a parent, they will love you for their rest of their life as well. There may be bumpy stretches, but if you’re doing your best to raise a smart and well-rounded child then you can know you did the best you could. While still young, they will hug and kiss you without much pushing, and it can really lighten your life up.

Your legacy will live on

Regardless of the relationship that you had with your child, your legacy will continue on after you’re gone. No matter what, part of you will be inside of your child and it will be passed on to those that they interact with. While it’s possible for your legacy to carry on without kids, it takes a lot more work for that to be true. For your legacy to be truly meaningful, you need to work hard to raise your child the very best you can.

You will have your family

At the end of the day, your family will be there for you. While friends may come and go, your family is someone you can depend on. Similarly, you should be there to support them when needed as well. Not everyday is a winner, and you’ll have days where you’ll need love and support. Your family can be there for you in the ups and downs of life.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the pros of parenting. There are many others. Similarly, there are many cons as well, but you don’t have to look too hard to find those. Do your best to be the parent you know you should, and before you know it you’ll be on your own again.