This past weekend, my wife went away for some much needed time to herself, away from the demanding job that is being a stay at home mum.
This left me in charge of keeping two young humans alive (no pressure).
On Friday, they spent the day with their aunty, whilst I was at work. I left at 2 pm and made my way home.
It's fair to say that I don't deal with the stresses of parenting that well and find myself frustrated by the kids' behaviour, even after a few minutes of seeing them. This stresses me out even more as I question whether I'm a good dad or not, on several occasions. I often can't wait for the kid's bedtime so that I can chill out and de-stress.
I'm quick to lose my temper when the kids aren't behaving the way I want them to. My brain sometimes doesn't let me understand that they are just children. I'm sure that every child behaves the way mine does, but this doesn't help me 'in the moment'.
When I came home on Friday, the house was empty as the kids were out. I stood in the kitchen and the house was deathly silent. Sheer bliss you might say, enjoy it while you can. Usually, I would, but at that moment, I felt like something was really missing from my life.
I took a second to think about what my life would be like if I didn't have kids.
The house would be quiet. I wondered what I would do if I didn't have the kids. Maybe go to the gym I thought to myself, or go shopping. None of this thrilled me with excitement.
I immediately missed my children more than I ever have.
I realised in the hour when they were still out that they had made my life so much better. Even with all the stresses they bring, I am so glad that we decided to have kids. The joy they bring to your life outweighs the stress they bring.
I believe that having children makes life truly worth living.
I am blessed to have my kids in my life and I'm honoured to be their dad. I can't wait to see them grow up and become even more amazing than they are now.
So parents, if you're having a hard parenting day just remember…
…it is absolutely worth it!
