Parenting

Parenting is one of those things that is really hard to grasp until you find yourself in the middle of it. A few people have told me lately that they are not ready to have kids. This has made me wonder what being ready for kids would look like. If you say that you are ready for kids, you are saying that you are ready for the following:

1. Pretty much give up control of your schedule for about twenty years.
2. Become more concerned about money than ever before.
3. Completely revolve your life around someone else.
4. Be prepared to care for a person's every little need.

I am sure there is a lot more, but these are just a few things to be ready for. So here is the deal--who in the world can be ready for that kind of change? People do not become great parents overnight, but great parents are those people who accept the changes and celebrate them. There are realistically some people who are not ready to become parents, but most people are more ready than they think. It is not a coincidence that you get about nine months to wrap your head around the fact that soon there will be another human being in your house.

And, while parenting can be a challenge, there are some great things about being a mom or dad:

1. You discover that you can love someone more than you ever thought you could.
2. You can't wait to get home to spend time with your child. You cannot wait for Saturdays to spend time with him or her.
3. You learn more about yourself than you thought possible.
4. You learn more about your spouse and your marriage than you ever thought possible.
5. You learn that joy is having your little girl squeal in delight because you came home from work--everyday.

Parenting is hard work. It absolutely changes your social life, your sleep habits, your time management, and your marriage, but it is so worth all of that.