Why Have Them?

If you have kids, there’s been at least once in your life when you’ve asked yourself, “What was I thinking?”

Face it, parenting is hard work. Like, really hard work. It’s sticky and loud and involves countless bad smells. And, the person (people) you’re working for (because, seriously, you work for your kids) are often not thankful for the “hard” lessons. They would rather you skip the lesson on why it’s bad to hit and skip straight to the ice cream.

Kids will tell you exactly what they think, especially when you’re in the middle of dinner out with friends and they realize that you have a weird hair growing somewhere than hair shouldn’t grow. Or that your socks, while clean, don’t quite match one another. Or that you just dripped marinara down your brand new white shirt. The list goes on. Kids say these things, sometimes quietly, but then more loudly when you don’t respond with the appropriate amount of gratitude for their thoughtful observations.

Later, when they get older and realize that some things are embarrassing and frustrating, they’ll say these things just to push your buttons. And, bless parents everywhere, we’re not allowed to throw them out the nearest window. Something about abuse and child protective services…

So, why do it? Why do we actively create these selfish little sociopaths who will dedicate their first twenty to thirty years to making us insane?

Because, despite all that, kids are the most amazing, wonderful, life-affirming little creatures. My kids make me a better person. And, hopefully, I am doing the same for them.

And, any time I feel like tossing one of them out of the nearest window, I think about moments like these: