It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to parenting and to dwell on all the negatives. But let’s focus on the positives of having these little, wonderful, grey-hair-inducing… things.
- Sleep: Yes, you heard me. Sleep! So they might wake you up at any time of the night, sometimes even preventing you from getting an evening to yourself BEFORE you go to bed. But look at it this way… have you ever appreciated sleep so much, since having kids? Pre-Parenthood, I used to spend ages lying in bed, thinking about 101 things, then when I woke up at 4am, I would then lie awake again thinking, not getting those much needed Z’s. However, since having two little sprogs, I now zonk out straight-away, as though one of them has hit me over the head with a mallet (I hope this is not the case).
- Entertainment: When you have kids, you don’t have time to be bored! No lounging around, thinking what to do with yourself. They provide a constant source of “entertainment”. Sometimes, they can even make you laugh, or at the least, not cry. If you’re bored and fancy something to do, have some children! Then sit back and enjoy a glass of Wine…
- Pride: Doing something yourself can give you a sense of pride and purpose. When you have kids that achieve something, you get a sense of pride beyond compare & haven’t even had to do anything yourself! Win-Win!
- Companionship: You could get a pet to keep you company, but they end up saying the same thing (e.g. a dog will only ever go “woof”). Children however (eventually) say all sorts of things. Sometimes they even say things that make sense! You also (again… eventually) can stop clearing up their poop.
- Exercise: You WISH you could sit down for five minutes! But with the tiny gremlins under your care (aka your children), you will spend all your time playing with them, chasing them, dressing them (particularly exhausting activity), and clearing up after them.
- Cloning: Ever fancied a mini-me, that you can get to dress like you, walk like you, talk like you? Well with kids, you can! They might not like it, but they can choose to do things differently (as soon as they are old enough to pay rent).
If you’re a parent, or expecting some sprogs in the future, then hopefully the above has all helped to put things into perspective and if anyone has any other suggestions for pros to parenting, feel free to add them into the comments!