Six Ways Children can make you a better person

Six Ways Children can make you a better person

Having children has some effect on most people; they try to become a better person for their children. Although, it does not necessarily mean that having kids will change a man from being bad to good or a good woman to bad. However, having a kid might change you in a significant way. The moment you start being called a mother or a father everything changes for you, it is like a new version of you- version 2.0. Below are some of the ways having a child changes you:

1.      You become less self-absorbed

The thought of having children changes you, simply because you now have to factor in your children in most of your decisions. You cannot go to sleep before attending to the needs of your children. For example, you cannot sleep peacefully when your baby is crying because he/she needs a diaper change or food. At a younger age, children want attention from their parents, they want someone to play with, someone to hold them, someone to feed them and to feel loved. You do not have the luxury to spend time worrying about yourself when your children desperately need your attention. This way you have someone who appreciates the little that you do. Parenting gives you the sense of self-acceptance, you feel more compassionate towards others, which opens your eyes to the rest of the world. This keeps you from being self-centered and self-absorbed that you are able to see past yourself.  

2.      You discover that you have the capacity to love

You may think that you have discovered the full depths of being in love until you experience the unconditional love of a child. During the pregnancy, you may think you know how it feels to be loved by someone but until the child is born and placed into your arms, you experience the encompassing love of a young one. This may terrify you for sometime especially as you feel the new wave of love encompass you. And as they say, having a child is like walking around with your heart beating outside the body. This new found may life easier and also harder. You are able to realize how much pain families endure trying to get a child and now that you have one of your own, you are able to appreciate the simple things in your live.  

3.      You become more compassionate

Before you became a parent, you probably judged parents by how their children behaved in public places. For instance, you are in a supermarket and you see children misbehaving, your first thought is probably to discipline the children but once you get children of your own you will understand. You become more compassionate and understand that parents can make mistakes and children can be a little bit hard headed. This does not mean that they need to be disciplined; you just need to talk to them and understand them. If a baby starts crying while on the airplane, you feel inclined to help instead of the usual grumbling. You learn to accept others by putting yourself in their shoes and understanding how it feels to be in their situation.

4.      You accept that you can be fallible

Before you had children, you probably thought that you knew everything there is to know about kids and parenthood. You may think you have all the answers and sometimes even try to correct other parents. Now that you have your own kids, you realize that you know very little about parenting since every child is a new experience with a new set of challenges. As the children grow older, you realize that you knew close to nothing. Once you accept this, you open the doors of humility such that you accept that you can make mistakes. You learn from these mistakes and move on to the next chapter of life. Your children will always be there to remind you that no one is perfect so do not be hard on yourself because of a mistake. Learn and forge on with your life, greater things await you.

5.      You become more conscious on how you spend your money

Having children makes you think twice on your choices especially those that involve money. For instance, you cannot go around wasting money on expensive shoes, liquor and flashy cars while your children are starving at home with no clothes to wear. You simply become more responsible and understand that every choice you make has a consequence.

6.      You learn to appreciate your parents even more

If you have felt the love of a child, you can understand how it feels to know that someone cares about your wellbeing. This helps you appreciate the love that your parents offered you. You are able to understand what they went through raising you and what they had to give up to ensure that you had a happy life. You understand that you were always top of their priority list and everything they did was so you could have a better life.

Conclusion

Children give us purpose, they give you joy when you are down, they give you hope of a better tomorrow and they make you strive to become a better person. Having children is certainly one of the best gifts of nature. Enjoy every single moment with your child before they grow old and leave your home to start their own family.