A friend pointed out the following article,'Children, a Bundle of Joy?':
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/childre%20n-a-bundle-of-joy-2017935.html
and it got me thinking ( and blogging).
I love my kids loads but for the highly strung, like myself, it is quite stressful as toddlers do run you ragged. However nice the kids are, and of course ours are taught their manners, respect for others etc., at the end of the day they are inquisitive little monkeys who will always be found poking something or eating something just to see what happens.
We have some friends whose kids are kept on such a tight leash (metaphorically!) that they hardly have an opportunity to be kids. But allowing them to be kids brings in unpredictability, which some parents don't cope well with. I guess it is about striking the balance.
Yes, sometimes I miss my Caribbean holidays. I definitely miss having the money to afford them! I miss having lazy weekends because me and F's tag-team approach to lie-ins isn't really the same. I miss being to be spontaneous and just go out at the drop of a hat, although we are very lucky that we have my ultra-ace Mum who kindly does allow us to have some semblance of a social life.
Having said this the new life is different, that difference does not have to be a negative variance. It is fulfilling to guide little people grow to their potential. Although the responsibility not to break them is anxiety-inducing, raising children is rewarding.
Nothing beats the last snuggles at night and the first excited hugs in the morning (although perhaps if they could be 2 hours later :). Seeing your child learn to walk and talk and be independent is endlessly fascinating. I hope that as they grow my girls will remain close friends with each other and me.
As an adult I find being part of a close family very rewarding. Although I know there are times when she cheerfully could have killed me during my childhood/adolescence, I now have a very close relationship with my Mum - I value her opinion and experience on all sorts of things, miss her if I don't talk to her or see her most days and I hope my kids will feel the same about me.
So, am I happier or less happy with kids? I would say on balance that I am happier with my life now which has a number of things bound up in it - man I love, kids I love, house I love, job I love, close extended family I love.
Discuss...
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