7 Reasons Parenting Is The World’s Hardest Job
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We have all heard people say that no job is as tough as parenting. While we all sarcastically rolled our eyes in the past, looking after your own kid makes you realize that this statement is not that far-fetched after all. And don’t get me wrong. There are people who have really dangerous and stressful jobs around the world — everyone from the firemen and the police to brain surgeons. But every parent would definitely understand what I’m talking about when I say that parenting is the hardest job on the planet. And here’s why:
1. The Daily Mundane Hustle
Parenting comes with a slew of perpetual aspects that are tedious and monotonous in nature. It involves taking care of every little thing for your kid on a daily basis. You have to be responsible for their existence — their diet, health, and education, to name a few. And this continues for years on end from the moment they are born. However, it does get easier as your kids get older and start becoming more independent. While most of us eventually get used to the hustle as we go along, it is understandably hard for people to relate to unless they have been through the grind themselves.
2. The Huge Responsibility
Being a parent means that you need to take care of every facet of your child’s life. Now it is safe to say that you would not really comprehend what that means until you become one. This means that your kid would look up to you and have their understanding of life shaped around you. They see you as someone who can protect and comfort them when they are at unease. As a parent, your words have a huge impact on your child’s self-esteem and confidence. Additionally, children also observe the way you approach your life and how you lead it.
3. The Endless Worry
It doesn’t matter how carefree of a person you were before; having a kid totally transforms you. You find yourself constantly worrying about the well-being of your child. This includes the tiniest of things like making sure they stay away from sharp objects to some fairly imperative stuff, such as teaching them not to interact with strangers. It is fair to say that having such concerns are quite legitimate when you are a parent and something that will stay the same until they’re capable of looking after themselves.
4. Juggling Through Life
Living your life as a parent is no different than the act of juggling. You are expected to go on living your life while looking after every aspect of your kid’s life as well. You need to cook, clean, go to work, and take care of yourself while simultaneously focusing on your kid’s health, education, and well-being. This obviously leaves you exhausted at times — physically, mentally, and emotionally. With your energy and attention constantly at multiple places, life as a parent can be quite a challenging ordeal.
5. Control Over Your Kids
Every parent knows how tricky it is to get your kids to behave. Kids are the perfect definition of chaos, especially if you’ve got extra mischievous ones. Getting them to do (and sometimes, not do) anything can become extremely tricky at times. Unlike your little ones, you don’t often have the energy to run around the house chasing them. However, you don’t want to end up being overly domineering either, as that can affect their mental health. Figuring out the right balance between crazy and calm is definitely a challenge!
6. Navigating Through The World
While it may seem like only cleaning, feeding, and grooming from the outside, parenting obviously is much more than that. You need to prepare your children to face the real world and find their true selves in the process. As their guardian, you have the responsibility of instilling the values and morals that you want them to grow up with. You gotta teach them how to face a bully, how not to be one, and everything else in between!
7. Facing The Digital World
The challenges faced by parents change with every other generation. While our parents struggled to keep us away from the idiot box, children these days have a plethora of other distractions luring them. These include things like digital phones, video games, social media, and everything else that comes with the internet. They are just a fingertip away from accessing a whole new chaotic and enticing world. You don’t want to completely cut them off from everything, but having your kids exposed to all the crap out there isn’t a great idea either. Hence, it is crucial for parents to determine how much of it they want their kids to get exposed to.
While the above-mentioned aspects of raising a child make it one of the most challenging jobs out there, our love for them certainly makes it all worthwhile! Let us know in the comments below what you love about being a parent and what you don’t.
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