NationStates Jolt Archive

It's a simple enough question, for a curious mind: what is being a parent like? Do you like having kids? Is being a parent a rich and rewarding experience(as I hope it is)? Are kids just plain fun?

Or is it the opposite? Are kids a mind-numbing, boring, absolutely horrifying deathtrap ready to suck the life out of you bit by bit with stress piled upon stress upon stress in ever increasing amounts until you burst?

And, as a side question: how hard is it for you and your partner to decide upon a name for you kid?

a little bit of both, depending on the day.

Today I chased my kids around a farm, helped them to harvest some food, tried to keep them from pissing off the bull, rescued them from angry chickens, and am now trying to put them down for nap (since we are done with the bath to wash off the manure......long story)

It's mostly just daily life, there are rewarding moments, there are "OMG I want to hide and never come out of my room" moments.

We pretty much chose our names easily, it seemed like the right name.

a little bit of both, depending on the day.

Today I chased my kids around a farm, helped them to harvest some food, tried to keep them from pissing off the bull, rescued them from angry chickens, and am now trying to put them down for nap (since we are done with the bath to wash off the manure......long story)

It's mostly just daily life, there are rewarding moments, there are "OMG I want to hide and never come out of my room" moments.

We pretty much chose our names easily, it seemed like the right name.

I win the bet with myself that Smunkee would be first to post here.

Manure, eh? Chased the kids in the wrong direction, did you?

It's a simple enough question, for a curious mind: what is being a parent like? Do you like having kids? Is being a parent a rich and rewarding experience(as I hope it is)? Are kids just plain fun?

Or is it the opposite? Are kids a mind-numbing, boring, absolutely horrifying deathtrap ready to suck the life out of you bit by bit with stress piled upon stress upon stress in ever increasing amounts until you burst?

And, as a side question: how hard is it for you and your partner to decide upon a name for you kid?

its both

kids are great. they are endlessly amusing. they change your perspective on life. the whole world is more fun when you see it through the eyes of your child

yeah there are days (and days and days) where you havent had enough sleep, you havent had a minute to even shower, the baby wont stop crying and you wonder if you are going to lose your mind. there are days when you have to keep yourself from slapping your child for singing that stupid barney song AGAIN.

there are days when your kid does something so cool that you want to write it down to send to everyone you know. and there are days when your kid does something so awful you wonder if they are going to end up as a serial killer.

names...let her name the girls and you name the boys.

It's a simple enough question, for a curious mind: what is being a parent like? Do you like having kids? Is being a parent a rich and rewarding experience(as I hope it is)? Are kids just plain fun?

Or is it the opposite? Are kids a mind-numbing, boring, absolutely horrifying deathtrap ready to suck the life out of you bit by bit with stress piled upon stress upon stress in ever increasing amounts until you burst?

And, as a side question: how hard is it for you and your partner to decide upon a name for you kid?

I technically cannot answer this, as I don't have kids. but I'm an auntie to a 4-year old. and I love it. she's so sweet, and I don't remeber ever having to properly tell her off - but then again, she's had a so-called priveleged upbringing - my sister and here husband, who livein Monaco don't have to work. They just do charity things etc and, in my opinion, though they've got a sweet and adorable child, have got some things wrong - for example, as many sonbs do tell their children, she's not allowed to cry, as tis unladylike. she must be outside to cultivate 'ladylike' graces etc - rubbish. and she has a nanny. So I can't really tell you if its that good.

As to baby names, I am again not sure - though if you're close to a relative - like myself and my (step)sister, though we're ten years age difference, are very close - i'd tell her anything, and vice-versa. So then, I think naming easy - she just named the girl after me, Maria, and the boy coming in two months will be named after her husband. But I'm glad I'm not named after anyone, so, yeah, I suppose it is difficult. And nowadays you need to consider the connoatations - Chelsea and Chantelle 9though stereotypes don't always come out, and I'm sure there's some nice ones aroudn) 'reek', according to my English second cousin, of chavness.

This was basically a long way of me saying 'no idea':)

Don't know and don't want to know.

Picture drunken monkees on acid running all over your house.

But just as you're about to strangle the life out of them, they turn on the cute and your brain turns to mush.

Their desire to learn is insatiable and their ability to use the knowledge you give them against you practically limitless.

Kids are great. :)

i had a kid once. it bit me so i gave back to its owner.

they are loud, active little poop machines that won't let you sleep and drain all your money. then again I have none ( that I know about) so I could be wrong.

They're pure evilness! :eek:

It mostly depends on you. How you are prepared to deal with things and how you react.
You have to be patient.

If you're not patient, if you are selfish and react out of anger, you're likely to create monsters.

I'm totally blessed with three damn good looking, well adjusted and happy children. 95 % of the time they are well behaved. They are all happy with themselves and life in general.
Its a huge reward for me to see smiling happy kids, eager to show me what they've created or learned about.

Life's good.

Children are the most amazing thing you can possibly imagine.

They can (at various moments) be the most draining, persistent, contrary, infuriating, expensive, impossible, trying people you could ever have deal with.

But on the plus side they fill your life with happiness. They open your mind to the infinite wonder of the world around you. They infect you with endless enthusiasm and challenge you every day.

I can't imagine life without my children...

Paxomenia;11878222']
I can't imagine life without my children...

probably cause you wouldnt be alive. asuming at some stage you were a kid.

I win the bet with myself that Smunkee would be first to post here.
Me too.

Picture drunken monkees on acid running all over your house.

But just as you're about to strangle the life out of them, they turn on the cute and your brain turns to mush.

Their desire to learn is insatiable and their ability to use the knowledge you give them against you practically limitless.

Kids are great. :)
Woo. It's that last part about learning that excites me the most. If I would ever want to cultivate and encourage anything a kid does from the start, it's that.

a little bit of both, depending on the day.

Today I chased my kids around a farm, helped them to harvest some food, tried to keep them from pissing off the bull, rescued them from angry chickens, and am now trying to put them down for nap (since we are done with the bath to wash off the manure......long story)

It's mostly just daily life, there are rewarding moments, there are "OMG I want to hide and never come out of my room" moments.

We pretty much chose our names easily, it seemed like the right name.

More or less the mixture of situations I expected.

Though I must ask: has a partner ever had a strong desire for a name for a kid that you really didn't like? For instance--and I'm not entirely certain why--I'd love to name a daughter of mine Kairi, because I really like the name. But I have no idea what my partner might think of that.

she's had a so-called priveleged upbringing - my sister and here husband, who livein Monaco don't have to work.
Usually you have a "priviledged" upbringing if you live in Monaco and have independantly wealthy parents.

Probably like being beat in the head with a baseball bat for 18 yrs straight.

probably cause you wouldnt be alive. asuming at some stage you were a kid.

Ummm, yeah, but.... I don't think I owe my existence to my children... I think that comes from my parents. Well, that's the way it is in my reality - perhaps yours is different

Probably like being beat in the head with a baseball bat for 18 yrs straight.

I thought you were going away to be a missionary?

Though I must ask: has a partner ever had a strong desire for a name for a kid that you really didn't like? For instance--and I'm not entirely certain why--I'd love to name a daughter of mine Kairi, because I really like the name. But I have no idea what my partner might think of that.
If your partner doesn't like it, let them pick the middle name, that way if the kid doesn't like it they can go by the middle name. ;)


When I was pregnant with my first my husband wanted to name "it" (didn't know the gender yet) Xander, I used my veto power....I told him he could call the baby whatever he wanted while I was pregnant but that we both had to agree on something before the "real name" was chosen. Taking that into account he called the baby

Yoda Kenobi Wookie Wookie Chewbaca Han Solo Princess Skywalker

the entire time I was pregnant. ;)

We did NOT name the baby that.

If your partner doesn't like it, let them pick the middle name, that way if the kid doesn't like it they can go by the middle name. ;)


When I was pregnant with my first my husband wanted to name "it" (didn't know the gender yet) Xander, I used my veto power....I told him he could call the baby whatever he wanted while I was pregnant but that we both had to agree on something before the "real name" was chosen. Taking that into account he called the baby

Yoda Kenobi Wookie Wookie Chewbaca Han Solo Princess Skywalker

the entire time I was pregnant. ;)

We did NOT name the baby that.

Reminds me of the Dick Van Dyke Show episode about Richie's middle name.

Pain in the ****ing @$$. Or that's what my parents tell me.

Reminds me of the Dick Van Dyke Show episode about Richie's middle name.

yep.....


we did record it in her baby book for all to see how stupid we were. ;)

Couldn't say, being 17 and all, but I can't ever see myself having them, primarily due to my being a selfish bastard. So I guess i'm in the life draining, mind numbing school really.

Twins. 3 yrs old.

*curls up in fetal position*

Find the happy place. Safe warm place.

Kids can truly test your patience, but they are completely wonderful. They have the biggest hearts and they are just like tiny little sponges waiting to absorb as much information as they can about everything around them.

The hardest part is keeping up with them and trying to figure out if you're teaching them something about life or vice versa.

I am a single dad of three wonderful children.

My daughter is with an ex-girlfriend and my sons with my ex-wife.
My daughter lives with her mom, mom's husband and their two kids.
The boys live with me.

Right now my daughter (who will be 13 next month) is not speaking to me and it is very hard for me.
She is going thru a tough stage of her life but I make sure I call her at least once a week even if all I say is that I miss her and love her.

My 10 yo son can be a real pain in the ass sometimes but when I went to his school the other night to meet his teacher he had done a school project on who his hero is and it was me :)
There is nothing like hearing that you are a hero to your child...I was smiling ear to ear for days.

My baby boy, he will be 2 next month (thats right all three of my kids are born in November, the boys back to back 24th and 25th...I think it has something to do with Valentines day ;) ) just now dumped a bunch of baby powder in my lap!
He said "uh oh" and smiled at me so I cannot get angry.
He also won't go to sleep tonight...keeps getting out of his crib and coming over to me for me to hold him and read the same book to him again for the tenth time tonight!

When you are a parent it is wonderful, frustrating, joyous, scary, fun, hard work and full of surprises.

I would not trade it for anything in the world.

As for names my ex-girlfriend named our daughter...I was not consulted as we broke up about two weeks before we learned she was pregnant.
My oldest son is named after me :)
My youngest is named after my wife's father who passed away a few years before he came to be.

We did not know what he was going to be so we named him Casey because it works for both a boy and a girl.
Her dads name was William Patrick Casey.
We already had the William part covered as that is my name (and my fathers name and my oldest sons name) so we decided on Casey Patrick.