why we long for the most difficult days of parenthood?
Parents in a recent survey agreed, by a six-to-one margin, that parenting is seen as more difficult today than in the past.
Indeed, to hear today’s moms and dads tell it, Ruth Graham wrote recently at Slate, parents “never get their houses clean, never have sex, never read books or have adult conversations, never shower, and never, ever have a moment to themselves.” That’s hyperbolic, as Graham and parents themselves know, but (many parent-bloggers seem to say) it’s not far off the mark.
How could parenting be so hard today, when the basic tasks of feeding, clothing, protecting, and educating kids have never been easier? Responding to Graham’s piece and drawing on Jennifer Senior’s book All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, Ross Douthat suggests one major reason that parenting seems tougher now than ever before:
why we long for the most difficult days of parenthood?
Our children can be our best teachers. Parenting expert Susan Stevelman writes that the behaviors that irritate us — refusing, cooperating, or ignoring our requests — can help us build awareness, sort out old paradigms, and allow us to raise our children with greater ease and enjoyment.