Those little things that we absolutely love (insert sarcastic tone here) about being a parent! I’m sure you have your own list. The idea for this post came to me at 1 am, last night, as I was helping my 4-year old out of his pee-soaked pajamas. Now, be honest- Who doesn’t love another human being’s pee all over their hands in the middle of the night? Wow, look at all of those hands going up!
Here are a few of my favorite things about being a parent (in no particular order)…..
1. Discovering I’m an idiot who knows absolutely nothing about life or the world we live in!
This is always made abundantly clear by my 12-year old who rolls her eyes when I ask earth-shattering things like, “Did you brush your teeth?” or “Did you remember your coat, it’s 30 degrees outside?” or better yet, “Did you wash your hands after using the bathroom?”
2. Wiping down the floor around the toilet after my son “uses” the bathroom!
Honestly, who needs to aim anyways? My theory is that the maker of the toilet (I think his name was John-I’m not kidding), purposely set out to create a model that encompassed 5 percent of bathroom space because he thought that pee-soaked walls and flooring around the toilet was way more fun than a clean, good-smelling bathroom…..this has conspiracy written all over it!
3. Being awakened 8-10 times between the hours of 10pm and 6am!
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake THEN MAYBE I WILL FINALLY SLEEP THROUGH THE ENTIRE NIGHT FOR ONCE IN MY PARENTING CAREER! When I really get to the heart of this one, I realize how much I love to be awakened for things like, “The dogs in my room,” or “What time is wake-up time?” or “I’m wet,” or “It’s thundering outside,” or “What are you doing right now?” (Yes, that was actually asked of us in the middle of the night one time!)
4. Driving to the school 14 times to drop off items that my kid forgot!
And my favorite part of this is that these items are usually the exact same items I told them to put in their backpack 413 times so they wouldn’t forget…call me crazy! But you know, the more I think about it, I’ve got nothing better to do anyways then run time trials from home to school and back all day long! (This one would apply to my wife over me)
5. Washing laundry that isn’t dirty!
(This would also apply to my wife over me). Trust me, it brings a song to her heart when she pulls clothing, that she folded the night before, out of one of our kid’s laundry hampers. If you weren’t aware- asking a pre-teen to place laundry that they didn’t have to wash or fold (or buy!) into their respective drawers is the equivalent of asking them to fly to the moon or climb Mount Everest!
6. Breaking up fights over REALLY important, life-altering matters!
“It’s my turn to sit in the front seat!” “Mom…she’s looking at me!” “But I wanted the heart-shaped cereal and he ate it all. I don’t get a snack now!” “It’s my turn on the Wii. You’ve been on it the whole time. Give me the controller.” Forget the fact that there are children in 3rd world nations without a car to drive, or a bed to sleep on, or a regular meal….my children have a need right now, and if they need it right now then I better move heaven and earth to get it for them! Good grief.
Question- What are some of your “favorite” things about being a parent? Comment now and join the conversation!
