The circle of life ? from a non parent?s perspective

Article by a guest writer
October 2010

Being a parent is hard work, really hard work ? or so I?ve gathered from friends and family with kids. There is birthday parties, school (may it be primary or pre), play dates, just trying to do grocery shopping with a monkey around your ankles or on your hips, odd sleeping hours shared between siblings, energy spikes and rampages due to sugary spoils or just because they can, your headache amplified by screaming banshees that does not have off buttons? and the list goes on. Then there is sibling rivalry for attention from parents and grandparents, (little people?s) egos to be stroked, bite marks and mystery bruises to heal and hide (just so no one thinks you did it).

It seems like a lot of hard work for 7 odd years until they go to school (if you have more than one ? my condolences). Once they are in school a whole new series of issues and schedule clashes arise until they are all in school. Then ? it is 12 years (for 1) of extracurricular activities, sport practices and matches. Then come the teens? heartbreaks, love interests and teen drama!

To recap ? they start cute, but they poop and pee all over ? and use a billion diapers; then they crawl, learn to walk (and break everything) and pee all over the toilet ? plus you have to throw birthday parties that cost a pretty penny or twelve; they go to pre-school and learn about brands / the latest idol or role model and want to wear only Barbie / Spiderman / Ben 10 and Bratz; then you send them off to school to learn and you have to repeat schoolwork again and you have to sit next to some sport field and feign interest for the next 12 years ? on top of having teen dramas; you send them off to university and worry about where they are and if they make good choices; then they meet the one and you have to pay for wedding things just so they can go through all of this?

That is just my humble observations? but really, why does everything that is worthwhile require so much effort?

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