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I paddle less, get less exercise, sleep less than I used to... I change diapers and put on band-aids and clean up the house constantly when I'm home, and I'm only there part time. I wake up in the middle of the night to comfort him while he's teething and frustrated.
The payoff, of course... is the most powerful love imaginable, a bond unshakeable. Is it hard? Yes. Worth it? Oh yeah. Am I happier as a parent? That's a tough question, and it's one that's tough to be objective about. Would I rather not have my son? That's a crazy question- I'd sooner dance on all your graves than be without him. Am I happier now than I was before we had him? I don't know.
According to statistics I've seen, folks who are married report happiness levels higher than those who are not- and folks who are parents report happiness levels lower than those who are not. I'm not surprised- it's not easy being a parent. First of all, it's a lot of little changes- when do you get that romance in, do all the stuff that makes your relationship work, now that you've got the baby? How do you play together? Whole parts of your relationship need to be generated in different ways just to keep things working, and you have to do all of that on less sleep, with less time,
That said, studies also show that when a thing is expensive for you, or you're invested in it, it is worth more to you and your experience of it is better. Whether that's got anything to do with the love I feel for my son... honestly, is irrelevant to me. All I know is that I'm his dad, I'm immeasurably proud of that, and that it's both more fun and much harder than I thought it would be. |
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It's a lot of work. New 
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