I’m a teacher and a few days after my first (and only) was born the Uvalde school shooting happened. Postpartum emotions play a part, but it is really difficult to escape the growing negativity about the state of the world. She’s two now and while I do still have many concerns about the future I’m focused now on making each day as positive as I can for her. In my experience, in time, the intensity fades a little. You do what you can, accept you can’t control everything, and make the best with what you have.
this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024
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My oldest is 4 and she takes no BS. She is so strong-willed it can be absolutely maddening. As much as I fear parenting her is going to be rough, I hope she maintains her spirit. She feels all her feelings in quite a big way, for better or worse. She has always been this way. I truly hope it sticks. I've had strangers tell me that she's the type that is going to run the world.
My other one is 2.5-ish. She is so tuned in with others' feelings, it's pretty incredible. She likes to make sure everyone has their napkins and dinner and utensils and everything before she'll sit. If she keeps this up, she's going to be taking care of everyone all the time. That's not a bad thing. The world needs some more of her empathy.
As you see their personalities emerge, it's hard not to feel confident in them and hopeful that you'll also feel proud of the decisions they make on their own.
I felt the exact same way. Looking at my first child gave me hope for the future in a way I hadn't, before. We're going to be okay.
Great to hear, I'll become a parent in a few months. It's good to hear about how you feel since I used to feel pretty negative about having kids before we decided to have them.
My first is one and a half and change now and after getting out of year one, which was absolute hell for me, I kind of understand where you are. I don’t feel exactly the same as you, but I do feel a lot more hope than I’d have expected.
My kid is a lot like @MagikShel’s youngest it sounds like, and she’s often extremely angry about my general existence, let alone any of my attempts at parenting her but in a way that comforts me because I see someone able to fight for what she wants at an early age and I’m very proud of that.
I have five kids from 12 to 30. I worry about their future, but I think they are going to be alright. They've all turned out very different from anything I expected, but each is them are strong and successful in their own unique ways. My son battled addiction and bipolar, is 4 years sober and just graduated from nursing school suma cum laude. My oldest daughter just transitioned to a new career in preparation to start her own family. My littlest continually surprises (and frustrates) with her strength and independence. I'm not even sure I'm raising her at all, so much as she's raising herself and can't wait for her parents to get out of her way.
Kids are amazing. Good luck!
You seem very nice and thoughtful; it's nice to hear about parents with a brain inside their skull that think ahead and love the moment.
Anyways, I actually don't have much to add as I am at a very different path of life, but I really like your thoughtfulness.
You also remind me of this comic:
Which I envy, cuz I'd wanne be that way.