Sunday 16 September 2012

Time, Energy, & Freedom

First off, I am half way through the 2ww! Another week to go - I will be holding my breath, waiting for the clinic's email. I am hoping for one of those rainbow BFP emails that I have seen - the ones with colourful words. I believe it's a regular email if it's a BFN. I truly believe that what is meant to be will be but of course, I would like to hear good news too.

OK, so I may or may not have talked about this before but because it comes up regularly - with strangers or new people I meet - I'm revisiting the topic. My family and friends know that being a parent is not a difficult role for me as my lifestyle suits it perfectly. Strangers or new people I meet (including those who are already parents) often refer to how parenting takes up a lot of energy and time, and how freedom is lost. Perhaps it's because my son has integrated seamlessly into my life but I don't feel he takes up that much energy or time, or that I've lost much freedom.

Freedom-wise, I have no problems taking him to various places whether it's locally in the city or travelling around the world. He's done his fair share of travelling with me around the world. I had no problems taking him to Australia when he was 3 months old. Sure, I can't just head out at night to grab milk without taking him along but I rarely did that anyway. Travelling-wise, I can still have those last-minute trips - I just have one more to pack for, which is not a difficult task.

Regarding time and energy, I think I use my time better now because of my son instead of him taking up my time. Although I am a natural planner and organizer, being responsible for a little one makes you even a sharper planner and organizer. I am also someone who doesn't need a lot of alone or me time. In fact, when I do need it (e.g., headache), my son is a brilliant independent self-entertainer - if I had conditioned him to be a needy child, perhaps that would have been different. Energy-wise, I would say he doesn't take up more physical energy - I guess if you sat on the couch 24/7 then yes but if you had a normal lifestyle with a mix of couch activities and outdoor activities, not much changes. You just use your energy time in a different way.

I will say that when it comes to mental energy, having a child does make you use up a lot more compared to when I didn't have a child. But this is normal because you are responsible for your child and you always want your child to feel well and happy. When my son is sick, I always feel stressed because I feel helpless - yes, I know what to do and look for but I can't instantly make him better. One also naturally gets concerned over their child's development if he or she is slightly behind even though you know everything comes with time including potty training *smile*

In the end, even if you feel having a child does take up more time/energy and will make you lose some freedoms, having a child brings so many new positive things into your life that you never had. I could list many things but you know what I'm talking about. Finally, no description can do justice to how you will feel when you finally fulfill your parenthood dreams.

Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!

1 comment: