Parenthood is it worth it?

Not for me, I have never had the desire to be a mom.

Getting to leave on a trip on the spur of the moment, having extra cash, not having the responsibility, the list goes on...I enjoy my life so much the way it is I cannot imagine being tied down.

We have two a 20 year old girl and a 23 year old boy they have and continue to enrich our lives. Teaching both my children how to ride bikes, throw, fish, camp you name it we have probably done it TOGETHER.

Did it put a damper on things, did we feel like we gave up going places at a drop of a dime at times, sure but that comes with the responsibility of having children. The question should be did we feel deprived by not being able to do certain things that single folks don't give a second thought about...Well let me put it to you this way, when your daughter takes your face with both of her little hands and looks at you and says' " I love you Daddy" well that's more than enough for me.

I am 32 and just had my first. She will be five months on Monday and I still look at her in awe and can't quite believe my husband and I made this beautiful little person. The best part is when they smile at you for the first time and I don't mean those first reflex smiles! I mean when their face light up multiple times a day just at the sight of you. There are tough times and leaving the house will hold a new meaning for you but it is definitely worth it. And I agree with one of the other posters as soon as the doctor gives you the go ahead squeeze sex in whenever you can your relationship is also important even if your focus as shifted a bit from him to your baby!!

Yep I miss my freedom. And flexible funds. And sanity.

But the pros? Looking at this person that YOU made. Seeing your attributes and those of your partners. Regailing their accomplishments because it's something YOU taught them. Knowing that how you raise and teach them directly affects how they turned out as a person. It's a lot of stress and a heavy load, but it's more than worth it. That child will love you unconditionally and you will know more love for that 1 little person than you ever imagined possible.

As a parent you will lose sleep. Lose money. Realize how little patience you really have. Learn that a little dirt really doesn't hurt. Realize that a messy house is okay because you're just too tired to clean up. Gain an amazing acceptance of puke, poop, and disgusting noises. Have converstations that consist completely of the smell, color, and consistancy of poop. Learn that the terms "Containment breech" and "complete blowout" mean the same thing.

Yes...it's absolutely worth it.

My kid made me grow up and changed my life for the better. He has a disability and it's very hard at times but I wouldn't change it for the world. Yes it is so worth it!

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.

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!!

Nope those *kitten* are expensive and act like drunks

I love every minute with my daughter. Some I love more and some less!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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