I amazed that people admire this so much that they write articles that pat themselves on the back for their selfishness.
Until Madison was born, I saw parenting from a distance. I thought of babies as adorable and sweet. They smelled good and looked clean and perfect. Sure, I knew about dirty diapers and occasional fussiness. (And the screaming kids in stores and restaurants.) But, really, they were a minority, I thought.
Then I learned the truth. Kids overwhelm your life and alter it forever.
I have a newfound respect for Shannon, and for mothers in general. Sleep deprivation seems the norm. Forget about impromptu dinners, weekends away or nights out with friends.
Right now, my schedule is mine. I do what I want, when I want.
I don’t know if I’m willing to give that up. For the past year, not a week goes by that I don’t tell Shannon that I just don’t think I could be in her place.
I just found myself wondering what was the point of a newspaper publishing this. Sounds more like a livejournal entry or something, because the only original insight is that she, personally, does not know anymore whether she wants kids. Not sure why that is particularly interesting to the general public. I think most people were already familiar with the fact that raising kids alters your life irrevocably, limits your ability to do “what you want,” and often involves stuff like spaghetti sauce on clothes, and that people who choose to try not to have children often do so for that reason.
That was my same exact thought as well.
I like her brainwave that maybe parenting is easier when you’re married to the father of your children. Ya think?