Joys of Parenting
There is no other way to describe parenting than joyous. Throughout your life you have probably experienced many happy occasions but there is simply nothing that can compare to the moment your baby is placed in your arms for the first time. You look down into the precious little face and feel that teeny little hand grasp your finger for all it is worth. It is an emotion that encompasses everything and suddenly life as you have known it and will forever know it has changed.
The bond between a parent and child is extremely strong. In most cases, barring any medical emergencies, you will be allowed to hold your baby as soon as he or she is born. This is the moment the bonding process begins to take place. Certainly, you have already bonded with your baby to a degree while he or she was inside the womb, but the moment you hold your baby in your arms, you begin to bond on an entirely new level.
Many of the joys of parenting you will probably have expected but there are also many other thrills that come along with parenting that will likely sneak up on you when you least expect, things for which you never knew to prepare. The simple fact is that nothing can quite prepare you for what it feels like to be a parent.
While parenting will change your life for the rest of your life, it brings indescribable rewards and joys every single day. Each new stage that your child enters, every new skill they learn and every moment will bring a sense of elation that nothing else in the world can provide.
There is no job in the world that is tougher than being a parent and certainly no occupation that will exhaust you, both mentally and physically. Yet, in the end, it is still completely worth it.
While you have probably made quite a number of plans for how the first few days will go with your new baby, including plenty of schedules, do not be surprised if you find that the only thing on your agenda is resting and enjoying the perfect little piece of humanity that has been entrusted to you. One of the most surprising aspects of parenting for many new parents is the complete contentment and satisfaction they can derive from simply watching their baby sleep during those few weeks.
Throughout the next several months, and even years, you will discover that there is much to learn about the task of parenting and you will likely be in for some surprises along the way, which can bring their own form of unexpected joy.
Parenting brings its own form of education, regardless of what your background may have been when becoming a parent. It is certainly the only task on Earth that provides you with an education in psychology, criminal justice, nursing, life skills and matters of the heart that no college program on the face of the planet can match. It is also the only task that you will ever take on that will provide you with such immeasurable, complete utter joy. Within the eyes of your child, even when they are a teenager and do not want to admit it, you will always maintain a place within their heart that can never replaced. Though the coming years will certainly provide plenty of trials, tribulations and difficulties, they will also bring with them the devotion and never-ending love that only comes from parenting a child and watching them grow into a happy, healthy and confident adult who will make their own place in the world.
