Random thought on being a parent...

I'm not typically one for a serious blog post but I felt the need to release some "negative energy" that I've somehow picked up over the past few weeks about how complaining and parenting seem to go hand in hand.

I will be the first to admit that I often, way more often than I should, find myself sneering at the thought of changing another diaper, dreaming of just one night of uninterrupted sleep, or feeling envious of those who get to sit down to eat their dinner instead of standing up chopping it into miniature pieces and "feeding the ducks" as we call it here. The fact is, we are parents. Whether you "signed up" for it or not, if you have a child, you are a parent. We shouldn't complain about the day to day tasks that seem so repetitive and monotonous. We should feel lucky that we have these tasks to complete. Some people can't have children. Some people have lost children.


There is only a short period of time where as a parent, you will be viewed as royalty. As I type this I know my 1st grader is looking forward to coming home to ask me to draw pictures that look NOTHING like what she asked me to draw, but she loves them anyway. My two little ones who are in their cribs crying, not wanting to nap...they just want to spend time with Mommy as well. This time in their lives will never come again. No, at the end of the day they don't look at us and say..."Hey thanks for changing my diaper, washing my clothes, cooking my food, cleaning up after me, and sacrificing things you want to support us." That's not what matters. What matters are the hugs you get when you haven't seen them since they went to school. The sweet smiles peaking over their cribs first thing in the morning.

Before we know it, it will all be silent again. We'll get our wishes granted for a small pile of laundry, a night of completely uninterrupted sleep, and the option to sleep in past 7am. If anybody else is like me, you'll wish you had these days back. So the next time you feel like whining and complaining about how daunting it is to be a parent, be thankful that you get the opportunity. Some people don't get the opportunity, but even worse, some people do and don't realize the opportunity they had.