I remember one of my friends once mentioning that she is planning to have kids.
“Why?”, I asked casually.
She sounded surprised at the question. “Because I am going to be 30! Everyone my age already is a mother.”
“But that really can’t be the criteria for wanting kids.”
“You already are a mother. You don’t know the pressure we go through”.
Hmm. Before I start this post, let’s get a couple of things out of the way:
- I am a very happy and content mother. I have a son I adore, and who reciprocates that back.
- I have a very happy life. Enough said.
Things to look forward to while parenting
- Time Crunch: No time for hobbies, sleep, friends or for exercise.
Average time spent for various activities
- Advice overload: Everyone who has an internet connection (or memory) is going to give you an advice.
Sources of advice
- Finance crunch: There are some additional (unexpectedly expensive) factors to consider.
Sources of Expenditure
- Stress Hike: Every parent, working or otherwise is going to go crazy with guilt, and the sheer number of things to do.
Stress and Multi-tasking levels
- Songs Crunch: The choices narrow down inadvertently.
Frequency of songs heard/sung
Of course, there are some major perks as well. Your life gets a direction, and you (finally) get some perspective. Specifically, there are two things I could think of
- Energy Spike: Coming back home is not about resting, but looking forward to some cricket/football time.
Average energy levels during the day
- Work-Life Balance: The chaotic work-life balances and OCDs are finally sorted out.
Average Work-Life Balance in a week
Happy parenting (or non-parenting as the case may be)!
Source: Imagination and experience :)
