About nine-in-ten American parents say that the role is rewarding for them all (53%) or most (35%) of the time and a similar share say it is also enjoyable all (43%) or most (47%) of the time too.
But there are moments when the job becomes stressful. Interested in these situations, Reddit user
ApprehensiveShock655 made a post on the platform asking its users: "What's the worst part of having a child?"
People's desire to educate others and vent, coupled with the anonymous nature of the internet, has allowed the post to receive over 18,300 comments, many of which are direct answers to the blunt question. Here are some of the most popular ones.
#42
Right now it's the relentless illnesses! One kid brings something home, sick and off nursery for 4 days, recovers but two days later Mum gets, one day after Baby gets and one day later Dad gets. Its brutal, especially since kid 1 has recovered and doesn't understand why no one will play. Well maybe because we are all puking our guts up you wee gremlin!
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47points
#43
The strain on your marriage/relationship. We thought we were completely prepared since our child was planned. Then you add the responsibility and stress and the take away sleep. (Didn’t sleep through the night for 9 straight months) We were at each others throats every single day. We finally got ourselves figured out and are good now
44points
#44
I have an infant. Right now, it’s:
Friends who don’t have kids and get upset because they can’t understand how your life has drastically changed.
News articles about pandemics and mass shootings, and knowing that you are raising a child in a world that generally doesn’t care about their well being.
Knowing that your child will eventually be hurt by others, and that you will be powerless to stop it… so instead you have to instill resilience in them. And you hope you do a good job because of how many bullies and a******s there are in this world.
Coping with the fact that one day they’re going to stop sleeping in your arms during naps, and laughing at your silly faces, and stop looking at you with absolute unsullied admiration.
The helplessness during their first bruise, their first illness, their first babysit session when you check your phone every five minutes because every single news story about terrible things that happen pops into your mind.
There’s a lot of “worst parts.”
Luckily, it’s still all worth it.
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43points
#45
It's incessant. It never stops. You never get a day off.
Going from having two days per week to relax and do whatever to literally never having a moment free from responsibility.
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39points
#47
Transitions. From baby to toddler, to little kid, to big kid…. Time passes by and with it they start growing into independent persons. A parent’s love grows with them, but te feeling of knowing sooner than later they will belong to the world…… And we adults posses the understanding that the world IS. This can be both beautiful and scary.
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35points
#48
Boredom.
Apart from the real life problems, like providing for them, health and constantly being worried. They are so damn boring. How long can you play with a toddler and not lose your mind? Entertaining small kids is so annoying.
Once they learn to read it gets so much better.
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33points
#49
Literally ZERO breaks! You are on call 24/7 for 18+ years. Never can slow down to even catch your breath. It is equal parts exhausting and rewarding. I always say I wish we had better respite for parents because we all need it!!
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31points
#50
At the beginning, planning things becomes much more complicated. Want to fly? Gotta plan for stroller and car seat. Which car rental place is in the terminal so you don’t have to haul all your kids stuff on a bus.
And things can get messed up just because your kid is having a bad day. You might be out at a restaurant and your kid gets mad because [insert dumb thing here] so you just need to pay your bill and leave, or eat in shifts with so someone can be outside with a mad toddler.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my kid and wouldn’t change anything but details that never mattered to me before become things you have to take into consideration.
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27points