To ask you about the good parts of having children?

[ValidUser]

Name changed because some people from work know my usual name and don't want to share my family planning details with them. DP (soon to be DH) and I are planning to TTC from September.

I'm very excited and just wanted to ask about the nice parts of parenting.

Please indulge me. Or throw buns.

They can be quite funny on occasion.

Watching them learning new things and taking in the world around them.
Cuddles.
Chubby little toddler legs are quite honestly the best things ever.

The majority of it! The cuddles, the laughs, the smiles, the days out, the watching them grow and discover things, the pleasure you get from them achieving new things, the love, the general day to day with them in your life, the fact you are their number one!
I think I’ve made myself a bit sick in my own mouth now writing that down, and teething and tantrums aren’t fun... but really, it’s the best.

When they tell you a joke you hadn't heard and it's really funny. Otherwise just hearing background babble of a house and realising you made a family.

No one will ever love you as much as your children. It's a pure love.

When they just want to snuggle you, and kisses... Seeing them learn and discover how the world works. Also toddlers are HILARIOUS.
Plus they have the ability to make you go within seconds from wanting to throttle them to melting at how sweet they are. Magic.

DS1 is nearly three and DS2 is 15 months. They make me laugh every single day.

DS is only just one. But he’s frigging amazing. Just watching him learn and develop. He’s becoming a person. Who I grew inside me. Blows my tiny mind. There’s loads of stuff which make it hard work, really hard. But he’s just the light of my life

Oh, and kids are interesting! I never thought they would be, but their development is fascinating.

Similar to cheerbear - you will never love anyone as much as you love your child. Oh god the strength of love, you just wouldn't believe it

I've just taught my 2 year old to fetch the post. I hope in time to teach her to fetch other things.

And yeah, the mind-blowing wonder that they are an actual living individual human that you GREW yourself and brought into the world.

You know those moments where you realise you are truly happy; they normally come along every few weeks or months. You suddenly realise that in that moment you are properly happy.
Since having children I have those moments everyday.
It’s that simple. They make me happy to be alive.

Everyone loves a newborn but as they start to show their little personalities, it's the best. I have 2 DC, my DS14 and DD10. I thought having 5 years olds with their amazing chat was my favourite but I just love the stages mine are at now.

dd is 3 next week and is absolutely hilarious at times, I love her so much when she's funny.

They look at the world so differently to grown ups and their logic is amazing. My daughter asked me to peel her bread for her the other day(cut off crusts), I don't know why but I love things like that. The wonder they have for everyday objects like shiny keys is nice to watch. Little hands holding yours and trusting you to keep them safe. Sorry not explaining this very well!

Thank you all for these. Really lovely!

There aren't any. Seriously, you might get on fleeting moment of joy when your child hugs you, or says they love you, but the rest of the time, all the time, you are no longer a person in your own right. No matter what anyone, including the father might say, the responsibility starts and ends with you. Anyone else can just do what they want, when they want, but you can't because you are the one who has to consider the child/ren.
No matter how important something is, or how much you want to do it, you can't unless someone else enables you by looking after your child.
And I expect loads of people will Witter on about father's being equal blah blah, but in reality, they just do whatever they want - think of all the threads on here about the subject... The responsibility stops with you.
So think long and hard about if you are prepared to give your entire life to someone else for years and years.

Babies smell of pure love.
Toddlers are amazing with their ability to learn new things every day.
It's wonderful to watch and under 10 develop their own personality.
Teens, erm, occasionally emerge from a grump for long enough to be funny and lovely and can sometimes be excellent company.
Young adults (which is what my DD is now) can house- and cat-sit when you spend the day out getting drunk and watching the football!

DD has ASD and there have been bad moments, sad moments, difficult moments: all of these are outweighed by the joyous moments.

Even when they grow into big hulking teens they are still mainly great.

I have teenagers (15 and 17) and I'm loving watching them becoming more independent - making their own arrangements to go out, managing their finances, managing their own school and taking responsibility for it - and knowing that I raised them and enabled them to do that. (I am a single parent and for the last 2-3 years their father was with us he didn't do much more than drink).

I've also loved discovering new music through the things that they have liked, and sharing my own favourites with them.

I once had to wipe explosive bright yellow baby shit Off the walls of our local Wagamama restaurants toilet. Is that the kind of thing you were after?!
Honestly- it’s hard work but amazing, they are so FUNNY. The line between laughing and crying is never so close as when you are a mamma.

Oh, and kids are interesting! I never thought they would be, but their development is fascinating.

Yes, this!

It is fascinating. Also the responsibility of realising you are responsible for forming so much of their outlook and values, the way they interpret the world, the way they feel about themselves. It really makes you think deeply about things.

But also there are all these bits of them that you can't or wouldn't even want to influence, seeing their personalities come out, really knowing them as much as it's possible to know another person. Mine aren't teenagers yet, I hope I can keep the connection going, or at least get it back on the other side...

The love - unbelievable, I miss her when she's sleeping, stare at her for hours, all the cliches.

When she wraps her little arms round my neck I feel like there's nothing else in the world.

She's funny and clever and totally unique - I know that only me and her dad (and the granny's!) actually think that really but it doesn't matter, I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have exactly her.

Didn't feel that at first by the way - no instant rush of love (protectiveness but not love) felt totally overwhelmed by the changes and the responsibilities, but every day, every stage, I love her more and more and more. Even when she chucks her entire dinner on the floor. I want to shout but then she just looks at me and I end up laughing.

grannies!!! sorry hideous grammars