Alex Barnett shares the ups and downs of parenting and what you learn from it.
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As with so much in life, becoming a parent is a good news-bad news thing.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that you are given the privilege of helping another person enter the world and develop into a wonderful human being. The bad news about becoming a parent is that no matter how well you do, whatever small thing is wrong with your child will be blamed on you – by the world, by a therapist, by your child’s ex-spouse, by a jury, or by your child.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that no matter how bad a parent you think you are, there are others who are doing much worse. Remember, Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin all had a mommy and daddy. The bad news is that if you’re using the parents of Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin as the standard against which to measure your parenting skills, you’re setting the bar way too low.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that parental love is not a commodity that is subject to depletion because of the economic downturn. The bad news is that parental finances are.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that your child’s smile is so powerful it will keep you going even when you don’t think it’s possible that you can continue. The bad news is that your child knows the power of his or her smile and will use it to manipulate you for the rest of your life.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that you will finally discover what it is like to love another person more than yourself. The bad news is that you will also learn what it’s like to love someone in this manner yet realize that they do not feel exactly the same way about you.
- The good news about becoming a parent is getting a chance to help someone benefit from the wisdom you gained through your mistakes. The bad news about becoming a parent is that you cannot travel back through time and benefit from that wisdom.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that you learn the difference between what’s urgent and what’s important. The bad news about becoming a parent is that you will learn this lesson on a daily basis through the context of conversations that commence every 10 seconds and always begin “daddy . . .” or “mommy . . .”
- The good news about becoming a parent is that you will truly grow to appreciate the beauty of a great nap. The bad news about becoming a parent is that you will never truly get to take that nap.
- The good news about becoming a parent is that you will learn firsthand that children bring out the best in people. The bad news about becoming a parent is that you will discover that you cannot bring your child to every meeting you have with your boss in an attempt to avoid getting yelled at or to garner a huge raise.
- In the end, though, becoming a parent is good news, for, if nothing else, one day you get to turn to your child and say: “I’m not saying you should feel guilty, but [INSERT LAUNDRY LIST OF PARENTING TASKS AND SELF-SACRIFICE], so maybe you could [INSERT THING YOU WANT/NEED CHILD TO DO FOR YOU].”
Photo: J_Regan/Flickr