When I was single, I rolled my eyes every time I heard a friend claim that being a parent was the best thing that has ever happened to them. I mean, come on, how can changing diapers, waking up late at night to feed your baby and cleaning crayon drawings on the walls be the best thing that’ll ever happen to you?
Well, I finally got my answer when I gave birth to my bouncing baby girl. It was at that moment that I finally realized what they were all talking about. Being given the opportunity to give birth to this little bundle of joy is just priceless. And as the months and years go by, I am falling more and more in love with her.
If you were like me, you’re probably rolling your eyes right now but I would like to give you a sneak peek of why I really love being a parent. In fact, here are four of the things that make parenting the bomb!
- You get to have an access to their astounding imagination. Being a parent is a breath of fresh air because every time I talk to my kids, I get to take a break from the adult life that is so hard to live in and I get to stay in the fun and colorful imaginary world that most children have. Having them is like having an endless source of creativity.
- You get to care less about what people think. When I was still single, all I ever cared about is what people thought of me.
Every move I made was heavily influenced by how I thought others would perceive me. But when I had my children, I started caring less because the focus was shifted to caring more about their welfare and safety. And that is probably the most liberating feeling of all. - You get to discover more things about yourself that you have never knew before. I thought I already knew myself well, but I was in for a lot of surprises when I became a parent. I realized that I am patient, especially every time my child throws tantrums in the grocery store. I also realized that I can be more giving and selfless, especially when my kids get sick at night and I’ve been up for 18 straight hours.
- You get to leave a living legacy behind. Before children, I was striving to excel at work and be a model employee. But when I became a mother, I realized there is so much more to world than just work.
I won’t deny it. Yes, there are many times when I would just like throw in the towel and give up, questioning my parenting skills and judging myself against other parents. However, going through these tough times, I still believe that becoming a parent is the best thing that has happened to me and I would not have it any other way.
