Parenting

When I asked my mom what the best part of parenting is, she said, “Watching your kids learn and grow in life and in the gospel, and having fun together.” My husband and I aren’t parents quite yet, but we will be in May. We’re so excited and we have been thinking a lot about the blessing that it is to be parents. There are so many aspects to parenting. It requires hard work, sacrifice, learning, joy, and as my mom said, fun. 

The desire to be parents is a divine desire. Few believe it is worthwhile.  There are so many other jobs a person could have, so many other things they could do with their time. Why would someone want to sacrifice so much to become a parent? For me, it is because I want to change lives. I know that the best place to do that is in the home. I want to raise children to be happy and kind and hard working. I want to learn from my children and become the best version of myself. I believe that the benefits of parenting far outweigh the costs. It is a blessing. 

One of the blessings that comes from parenting is the chance to learn. Parents have to learn problem solving, maturity, patience, and love. They also have to learn to see things from a new perspective, to understand their children. They learn from the children as well. Children are the purest souls on the earth. They have so much to teach, and as parents take the time to get to know their children and love them, they will learn great and important lessons. 

Parenting also provides a great opportunity for sacrifice. As a parent, one cannot have the attitude that “it’s all about me.” In parenting, it isn’t. It’s all about others. When we reach out to others and make it our goal to help others find happiness, we will ultimately be happier. Happiness comes from looking outside of ourselves and focusing on others. Parenting is an excellent way to do that. 

Of course, there are some difficulties that arise with parenting. Some of those include feeling inadequate, lack of knowledge, agency of children, exhaustion, etc. Parents don’t have all the answers. It is easy to feel that they are not good enough or they don’t know how to help their children. This can be a difficulty experienced by parents. Children also make poor decisions, regardless of what their parents have taught them. It can be difficult for parents to not blame themselves for those decisions and feel pain for their child. Parenting is also extremely tiring. It is a full-time job plus some. These difficulties are common, and can discourage some from having children. However, as I said before, I believe the benefits of parenting outweigh the costs. 

Earlier, my family and I were discussing all the crazy things that happened growing up including accidents, injuries, and bad babysitters. The list included second degree burns, broken bones, split open heads, gas from the stove being left on, etc. Children can get into a great deal of trouble, and parenting is definitely not boring. There are so many things to be aware of, but all parents can do it their best and learn as they go. 

I was blessed with incredible parents who loved us and provided well for us. They both work so hard to make sure we have the things we need and they always show us how much they love us. I am grateful for their examples. I know they are not perfect, but I know they do their best and I am grateful for that. Sometimes the thought of becoming a parent in a few months is overwhelming, but I know it is the best thing for me and it will be a tremendous blessing. As parents strive to do their best to love and support their children, homes and families will be happier.