Yesterday, I was at a swim meet, coaching alongside two other parents. One was a youthful college babysitter, and the other was a dad of three around my age. As we stood on the deck, the college babysitter, let’s call her Emily, turned to us and asked, “What percentage of being a parent do you think is tough?”
After a moment of reflection, I replied, “At least 70%.” The dad, whom I’ll call Mike, chimed in, “Yeah, but definitely not more than 97.5%.”
Emily looked thoughtful. “Wow, I used to think I wanted kids, but now I’m not so sure.” Immediately, Mike and I jumped in with the obligatory parent spiel about how that remaining 30% to 2.5% makes it all worthwhile.
Last night, I pondered our conversation and decided I needed to be more precise in my answer. Parenting is like an endurance sport—a never-ending ultra marathon that is both physically and mentally exhausting. There are mornings when you find yourself counting down to bedtime before the kids have even rolled out of bed. Honestly, some days, 99.9% of being a parent really sucks.
Take the nights when your baby screams endlessly for hours on end. Or when your toddler decides to take a diaper-free adventure, smearing everything in sight. Those moments are just a few examples of why being a parent can feel unbearable.
Then there are days when you’re at the gym, only to have a staff member interrupt your workout because your child has been wailing for the entire seven minutes. Or you might find yourself dealing with a kid who woke up way too early after a long night of wine. Trying to focus on writing a blog post is near impossible with a child yanking on the mouse and another hammering action figures on the keyboard.
Let’s not forget about the messes and emotional turmoil. When your teenager throws a fit, or when your child is bullied at school, those moments make it hard to stay positive. Even more heart-wrenching is when you see your kid struggling with anxiety and you feel helpless to alleviate their pain.
Exhaustion builds up, and on the days when you just can’t take it anymore, you might lose your cool and snap at your kids. Or maybe your four-year-old looks you dead in the eye and decides to test your patience. And no matter how much space you try to create in the car, they still find a way to annoy each other.
Then there are those moments when you feel a wave of panic because your teenager is late coming home. Or when your kids manage to lose the twenty-eighth pair of goggles and break your favorite picture frame. Those are the days when you hit that 99.9% threshold of frustration.
Yet, even amidst the chaos, there’s that elusive glimmer of joy. A sweet kiss, a small hand clasped in yours, or watching them sleep peacefully. Seeing their eyes light up when they achieve something on their own, or experiencing the pure joy they find in a simple moment—those are the things that make it all worthwhile.
On days when everything seems to go wrong, those little moments remind you why you chose this path. No matter how many tough days there are, the good moments are enough to make you forget the challenges.
And that’s the reality of parenting: the tough days will always outnumber the good ones, but the good ones make it all worthwhile. If you’re exploring options for starting a family, consider checking out resources on home insemination, like this in-depth guide, or visit Make A Mom for their comprehensive kits. For those considering fertility treatments, March of Dimes is an excellent resource.
Summary
Parenting is a challenging journey filled with exhausting moments and emotional turmoil, but even amidst the chaos, the small joys make it all worthwhile. The tough days may outnumber the good, but those precious moments of happiness are what truly matter.
Keyphrase: Parenting challenges
Tags: [“home insemination kit” “home insemination syringe” “self insemination”]