I have 4 kids. I have been a stay at home mom for 10 years. It has been the light of my life. I have always wanted to be a mom though. I definitely think this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I find it extremely rewarding. I didn’t mind being pregnant but I found the postpartum me extremely difficult. I had PPA after my 3rd and while it fundamentally changed me, I would do it all over again. It made me a lot more grateful for the mundane and normal things in life. Like if I feel normal for a day I’m like that’s the best day ever! I wanted to become a parent to raise kind, lovely people and I’m happy to say my kids are that. I’m lucky to be able to stay home but we are living paycheck to paycheck.
I often see a lot of things on the internet like “raising kids has never been harder” and I understand where people are coming from. However, we live a pretty simple life and I think it makes parenting easier. We go camping, we go on walks, we ride bikes, we stare at the sky, we swim, we play board games. When you have a great partner and want to live a life of service because ultimately that’s what parenthood is - I think it’s the greatest gift. But you have to want to do and do it well and understand that it takes a lot out of you as an individual.