Adventures in Parenting

“Why didn’t anyone tell me being a parent would be so hard?”

Let me tell you now – being a parent is HARD.

I was talking to a friend who has a one-year-old daughter. “She takes so much out of me,” he sighed.

Yes, being a parent is hard, but it’s also a matter of perspective.

While parenting is not for the weak or the selfish, it is a lot of fun!

The antidote to the daily grind is a sense of humor.

A friend told me that she once dropped a pan yams on Christmas day. It splattered all over the floor. I would’ve screamed and cried. What did she do? She laughed! “It was hilarious,” she recalled. She kept her sanity by keeping a sense of humor. Ten years from now, she said, it would be funny. So why not laugh about it now?

If you look, sometimes you have to look hard, there is a funny side to every situation. It’s all a matter of perspective. Respond with a little light-hearted laughter, and you will regain the joy in your day. I can’t get through a day if I don’t find something to laugh about.

So when you are having a rough day, and parenting seems to be unbearable, remember these 3 truths:

1. Life is short, don’t waste precious time. I didn’t realize this before, but now as I approach 50, every minute counts!

2. It’s all dispensable. For heaven’s sake, don’t get upset over vomit on your shirt, pee on the carpet, or any number of other bodily fluids in unexpected places. You can always replace the material stuff. Aren’t your kids more valuable than anything they destroy?

3. It gives you something to talk about. What’s the fun of talking to your friends about a perfect day? It’s lamenting over the sleepless nights and the crayons on the wall that makes good conversation. Such stories are the rite of passage of moms all around the world. These are stories to embarrass your children with when they grow up, and pass on to the grandkids. Savor the moment.

And one last thing: No matter how hard it is now, tomorrow is another day!