The complaints people on the boards have about their parents made me think of the Great Secret of Parenthood. It is actually forbidden to reveal it to those who have not yet reproduced -- but I am actually quite overdue for a dip in the Lake of Fire and I feel lucky tonight.

Come close and I'll tell you.

Closer...

Closer...

The Great Secret of Parenthood is this: giving birth to children gives only the need, not the ability, to be a perfect human being.

It works like this. You are who you are, hardly perfect but who is, and everything is fine. Then you have a child, and behold -- this infinitely precious, infinitely fragile being is completely dependent on you for all its emotional needs. You must be all patient, all selfless, all perceptive and kind 24-7. The child needs that, and loving him as you do, what less could you give him? But guess what? You get cranky, you yell, you make him cry. You are *not* all selfless, all loving -- you are the same ordinary screwed-up selfish person you were at his conception, when it was OK to be falliable.

So you have given yourself a job you cannot do -- no one can -- and you cannot not do.

The corrolary Secret, of course, is that your own parents become much more bearable when you realise this.

Not when they are cheap, old enough to be you grand parents, and especially not when they mess with MY computer!!!! :bang: My parents suck, even my oldest sister says that...and she is pregnet with her 3rd kid... :rolling:

[ August 02, 2002, 08:13: Message edited by: Kitrax ]

Of course you are correct Violet, when I realised that my relationship with my parents got a whole lot better. BUT just because you dont turn magically perfect as you get a child I do demand that you try when there is a child to take care of. It is a huge responsibility and the life you knew before is destroyed and gone. The child is supposed to be everything, parents that understands that do quite well even though they arent perfect. Those that do not get crappy children that end up badly. As you see with my views I am one of those people that wont get a child in a long long time, preferable not until I am 50+ and have a young gorgeus wife to take care of all the child/ren while sit in my rocking chair sipping on a pipe and occasionally cuddle with the child when it is whole, clean and happy ;)

How very true, Methylviolet. I used to think my parents were the dumbest people on the face of the planet, and when I graduated from college, I was surprised at smart they had become.

Having a kid of your own sure changes one's perspective also.

:D