Parenthood is it worth it?

Options
13567…12

Replies

  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    Options
    The cute things they do, the looks they give, the hugs, the kisses, the feeling of a little person thinking you are their everything (at least until they get older!).. My girls drive me nuts but I'd be lost without them. Heck, they go with their grandparents for a few hours & I'm looking at the clock waiting for them to get home!!

    Totally worth it. Unless you are very self-centred.. Then it might be a bit tricky.

    Good luck with the birth of your little acrobat :smile:
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
    Options
    Who know? 46 years later I find it has been my greatest joy and my worst pain. It is like doubling your skin area. I rejoice when they do. I hurt when they do. Now I have grandchildren and it starts again. One thing I can say though, it keeps you involved. Oh yeah, and it is never dull.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Options
    Babies poo their pants all the time.
  • aprilwilliams2729
    aprilwilliams2729 Posts: 107 Member
    Options
    My husband and I were just trying to remember what we did before we had our son the other day (he'll be 2 next week)! Honestly, I can't think of anything that we did that gives me more joy than having his little arms wrap around my neck and hearing him say "wuv oo too, Mama"! :smooched: Does he drive me absolutely batty some days - absolutely - but I wouldn't trade one insane, sleep-deprived minute of the past two years for anything!! :love:
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    Options
    I just got back from a week at Disney world with my 3 year old son. I missed seeing so much because I was so busy watching him light up. There really isn't a way to describe that feeling. At one point watching him hug Mickey Mouse it was like seeing the wonders of life through his eyes. I shed a few tears and even had to hug Mickey myself. It's times like that you laugh at freedom. I didn't have my son until my mid 30s so I partied like most people only dream of. And I can honestly say it doesn't compare. I never knew I could love anything so much.
  • Sovictorrious
    Sovictorrious Posts: 770 Member
    Options
    Nope those *kitten* are expensive and act like drunks
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    Options
    Obviously with the responses, its different for everyone. We have 4 kids
    Life before kids = boring
    life after kids-= way more interesting
  • SwitzEngine
    SwitzEngine Posts: 3,418 Member
    Options
    I love every minute with my daughter. Some I love more and some less!
  • Mary407
    Mary407 Posts: 635 Member
    Options
    Full disclosure - I'm in the "totally worth it camp," but spent 34 years in the "so glad that's never gonna happen" camp, for sure. I spent my entire adult life until 34 thinking I was not able to get pregnant, and not trying to prevent it, but then nine days before my wedding I found out that that we were expecting. Stunning. I was freaked out (to put it mildly), but my wonderful husband (who loves kids but loved me enough to get married "knowing" we'd never have any) took it all in stride. Four years later, we have TWO kids and they are the absolute best. I thought I'd miss the adventure of things like travel (which we do less of now) and the generally action packed, fun life we lived, but much of that is still there. We take our kids pretty much everywhere, still live a very fun, social life, and now have two more great people to share it with :)

    This sounds crazy, but everything we do now is more fun with them (yes, even eating out). And I do all kinds of things I never would have done before (petting zoo, anyone?). It's awesome.

    Congratulations, and have fun!
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
    Options
    I have 6 children, 2 of which are twins. Some days I literally want to shoot myself in the face, but I would die for my babies. I have never loved so deeply or so purely until I looked into the eyes of my baby. I won't lie it is very hard and there is seemingly a never ending stream of bull****, but they are so funny, so loving, helpful, amazing little people that I can't imagine my life without. I don't regret a single one of them and I started super early. I had my first at 20 second at 21, third at 22, fourth at 25 and, fith and sixth at 33 :)
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Options
    My 3 year old is speech delayed. He doesn't have a very big vocabulary, his pronpuciation is off, he doesn't use complete sentences. A couple of months ago he starts saying "tell you sum fing mom. Wuv you mom."
  • hikezilla
    hikezilla Posts: 174 Member
    Options
    Totally worth it...I was 20 when my first son arrived, 22 when the second one got here, we had 5 pregnancies total, but only those two made it to their birthday. I'm 53 now...we have 7 grand children and one on the way. They are awesome.

    My life seems to have been lived in 20 year chapters....0-20 I enjoyed my boyhood, my teens, my whole falling in love thing, and being carefree.

    21-40 I was the dad,. the husband, the family Alpha dragging home the bacon and sharing it with the tribe, spent hours at sporting events watching my kids, scouts, school plays graduation. Lost my grandparents, lost a few friends, got closer to God.

    41-now They got got married, one went to the Marine Corps, both managed to get through college on their own, one spent a year in a war zone (Iraq) helping folks make new lives, watched him watch his kids being born via remote TV camera, saw him come home in one piece, had heart surgery, lost my mom, lost my stepdad, lost my dog...saw my grand kids come into the world, took them on vacation, camping, taught them about the outdoors as much as I can at their age, I watch their recitals, their baseball games, basketball games, football games, spelling bees, I watch them grow up way too fast.

    Once your kids get here, time speeds up. Memories can't all be stored, it's awesome.
  • Inner_Goddess
    Inner_Goddess Posts: 1,146 Member
    Options
    Let me preface this by saying I LOVE MY SONS and would die for them.......

    however, tonight...........

    3 boys, ages 8, 6.5 and 5 ........FREE to good home
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
    Options
    When I was about 7 months pregnant (I was 22), I had a meltdown (quietly). I had just finished my Bachelors, but had gotten pregnant a month after graduating and no one would hire me (I started freelancing instead). I realized that for a while, my whole life would have to revolve around a little kidlet who would require a whole mess of stuff to be done if I just wanted to go to the store. And I was not. happy.

    But, that passed and I had my son and you know, I didn't *lose* much. Oh sure, I have to have mad organizational skills to keep on top of a kid, plus a husband plus pets plus myself and my clients, but that's a marketable skill right? ;) And I do still travel-my son is now a real travel bug because we got him started early-like, an eight hour car ride when he was six months old and a ten hour one when he was 14 months old-in fact, I travel MORE now because he's such a hoot to travel with. I still get to go out every so often to the movies, dancing, and dinner and I still get to do my own thing. But it's all enhanced by my little spud. It's hard, it's frustrating, it drives me crazy, but it is worth it :)

    Though I did miss sleep for a loooonggg time and I hated being pregnant and the breastfeeding. Hated. It. Probably not doing that again until they invent a way to let me sleep through all nine months of pregnancy plus labor and find a way to make it sooner that the kiddo sleeps all night XD.
  • tiggerhammon
    tiggerhammon Posts: 2,211 Member
    Options
    99% of the time: I would say it is the best thing that has ever happened to me! My daughter is so bright (in second grade - 5th grade reading level, just started on 4th grade math.) She is the light and joy of my life. Every single thing in my life would be meaningless without her, I do everything for her and almost everything with her. Life is still super fun - even more fun! In stead of going rollerblading by myself, I get to laugh myself to tears watching my daughter waddle like a duck on her skates. Instead of watching a movie on the couch alone, my daughter loves to eat dinner and watch a movie at the same time, its amazing how all the old classics are fun to watch again when you child is laughing hysterically all the way through (George of the Jungle) or clenching her fists and you can't help but laugh (Jumanji.)
    1% of the time: I question why in the world I decided to start over. I must be crazy! Being a parent is HARD!

    eta: read the person's post above mine and wanted to add: I always hated traveling before having my kid. I dont do driving for long periods very well though. Now, I travel ALL the time! She makes travel fun. The car rides aren't painful, they are full of hours of talking, games and even teaching moments and everywhere I go, it is so much more fun to have her with me. I traveled for work this whole past summer and she went on every trip!
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
    Options
    My 3 year old is speech delayed. He doesn't have a very big vocabulary, his pronpuciation is off, he doesn't use complete sentences. A couple of months ago he starts saying "tell you sum fing mom. Wuv you mom."

    Awww, my son has apraxia of speech--same thing, severely delayed. But when he first said 'Ì wuv oo mum' my heart nearly melted.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    I have two daughters: ages 9 and almost 7.

    I've loved every moment of it. I loved the babyhood years, the preschool years, and now the school years. We have so much fun together. And they are funny and innovative. We learn about science and do science projects. And they perform in dance performances with me. They get along wonderfully and share a room by choice. They give great hugs too!!! :heart: :heart:

    There are freedoms to be missed, but for what I've gained it is worth it.

    I can also understand why people choose to go child free and completely respect that choice.
  • dumparump
    dumparump Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    I remember having these exact same feelings after my son was born. It took me a while to realize it, but having him ultimately has embellished my life with so much more than my former self could even fathom.

    When we as humans go through a change this drastic, it's easy for us to look back at our past selves and reflect on how good we 'thought' we had it. Once we embrace the change for all the good that comes from it, do we honestly and fully find ourselves in the gratitude we seek.

    Give yourself the time to feel what you're feeling, but know that the changes you're about to go through are neither permanent or unable to be adapted into our lives, You'll find that your perception of your situation is the most powerful tool you'll have to overcome any stress you're feeling. Live it and love it, and always stay present.

    Congratulations. :)
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    Options
    Tough question! My baby is hyper active, non-sleeper and i have not slept peacefully since 2 years(daughter 17 months old, + last 3 months pregnancy uncomfortable LOL). So i am very sleep deprived, stressed, tired..even though i have my parents to help me out ;)
    But she brings so much joy to our lives, smile, laughter, amusement..every little thing they learn, say mommy for the first time..its totally worth it. We think and talk about her even when we are at work/date. She is currently learning so many words in a day, its amusing..its like she is a person now :laugh:
    But we have decided not to have anymore, because we are hoping to start sleeping peacefully in a few years(fingers crossed) and we do not want to give that up :yawn:
  • AdventureFreak
    AdventureFreak Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    No

Categories