question

There have been times in the past when I have grown frustrated with my children... particularly the older one. One could say that I have been curt, gruff, and insensitive. Take what I like to call the "bike riding incidents" for example. They started out well enough, but always ended in me saying something like, "I'm not carrying your bike home, if you want it, you can ride it... or else we'll leave it in the park for someone else to enjoy." While reflecting on my parenting tactics, I had a hard time figuring out why my approach didn't work. Doesn't everyone like their stuff given away, especially when they're frustrated?

Have you ever asked yourself why you're a parent? What in the world drove you to bring a child into the world, or adopt? Were you looking for the "Child Tax Credit" to reduce the taxes you owed the government? Were you looking to unleash mini-you's on the world, spreading your agenda to all?

When it comes right down to it I don't know if I have a good answer for why I became a parent. I've always liked kids, and wanted to have kids, but was that all there was to it? Was it just the instinct to "be fruitful and multiply?" My thoughts could perhaps best be summed up with a slight modification to a great scene in an even greater movie:

It's that magical time of year. The time when football is on almost every hour of every weekend from now to January... and you know what I like more than watching football? I like drifting off to sleep while a football game slowly lulls me into a post lunch coma.

However, it is impossible to take a nap with a four year old poking you in the ribs with her bony finger!

Princess P has been resisting an afternoon nap for quite some time now, which has really cut into adult nap time (it's not as dirty as it sounds). This wouldn't be so bad, but when early evening rolls around, if Princess P hasn't taken a nap, an evil unlike the world has ever seen awakens in her soul. She flies around the house looking to harass any living being, with the sole purpose of causing discomfort.

As a parent it is inevitable that there will be times that you either don't like your kids, or parenting in general is a royal pain. If you never feel this way, you're lying to yourself. There are times when kids will wipe their boogers on you, throw tantrums, and launch dinner entrees across the room. This leads me to my first question...

What is your biggest frustration about being a parent?