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| 10 unexpected ways Children Improve Your Life |
| (apart from giving you an excuse to watch Thunderbirds) 1.Children make you Healthier I can't remember the last time I popped into my local newsagent and came out with a Twix bar along with my newspaper. All that is definitely a part of my pre-children life. Not because I am such a svelte calorie conscious person now. I just know that I know I am not going to get out of that shop without an unbearable chorus of whinging and clamouring for something sweet and tooth rotting. It is simply not worth the effort. Kerry, mother of 3, has noticed that now her diet on the whole is much better. "Of course we eat junk food and McDonalds but I feel I have to try and show them what good eating is by doing it myself, even if they only go "yuck" at a plate of tuna and sweetcorn pasta bake. At least I know that they know what healthy food is, which is a start. Gordon, a single dad of Mark, 7, agrees. "When we first lived on our own we lived on take-aways and I put on so much weight. I'm now learning how to cook a decent meal that doesn't involved a bucket-full of grease and a tin foil carton. Sometimes it feels like too much effort but the belly is certainly going down!" 2. They re-vitalise your Sex life Perfecting the art of the quickie can be enormous fun, and provides an alternative use for your bathroom, garden or kitchen. Arranging a babysitter for an illicit evening out or, god forbid, a whole weekend away, brings all the excitement of planning, packing and anticipation. However, the pressure to perform can be hard. Judith, mother of 2 describes a would-be perfect weekend away. "My mother had the kids, I'd gone out and bought some new lingerie, and booked a lovely hotel with a Jacuzzi and pool. When we arrived the first thing Dave did was kick off his shoes, turn on the TV and say "Great, the match is on, I never get chance to watch this at home." This provoked an argument which spoilt the whole weekend and we haven't gone away since." 3. Children Save you money Let's face it, once you've got kids the only shoe shop you may see for months on end is Clarks. Whether it is time or money, shopping is definitely knocked off the top of the agenda. And don't forget all the money you're saving on expensive meals, taxis, lippy, perfume, facials and days spent lounging around at the hairdressers. It also means that when you do go out you appreciate it even more, which is much more cheering! 4. You learn new things From the moment your baby is born you embark on a new learning curve: feeding, nappy changing, ways of lulling your child to sleep or calm them when they are angry. These are all skills that you expect to pick up. But wait until your child hits school and starts coming home with questions like "Which planet is furthest from the sun?", "Did Tyrannosaurus Rex live in the Triassic or Jurassic period?" or What's the name of the tree in Mr Jones' garden?". You 'll soon be hunting out your long disused encyclopaedia just so you don't appear the dumbest parent in the playground. 5. You learn to assert yourself When you don't have kids, it's easy sometimes to go along with things for an easy life. Creating a fuss can seem like more trouble than it's worth. But along come kids and, like it or not, you have to stand your ground. A child with a fever and bad diarrhoea means that you are determined that you get that appointment with your GP, whether the receptionist is helpful or not. Overtime for the sake of it? Trying to impress your boss when you know that you've done all the work necessary that day? Forget it. You are out of that game now. 6. You find yourself re-evaluating your life There's no doubt about it. Your life gets turned upside down when you have children and some things just don't survive the upheaval. Quite often it's work. Jenny, mother of William, 4, decided that she didn't want to return to her pressurised job as a charity press officer with long hours and a heavy daily commute and is now retraining as a counsellor. "I have achieved a great deal career wise, and had a rich and varied life so I'm now happy to slow the pace down". Friends and relatives that you once visited out of a sense of duty become less important. You may have less time but you are determined to spend the time doing what you and your family enjoys. 7. Children are a wonderful excuse Don't want to make that office barbecue when the footies on at home? Cue an ill child. Want to leave plans for the weekend open and vague? "Oh, I'll have to check and see if Kate's got anything planned with the kids." Invited to yet another buy a fancy candle party and you'd rather stay in and watch ER? "Peter can't babysit that night, he's working late". 8. You become more creative Suddenly you find yourself deriving genuine pleasure from colouring pictures, cutting up bits of paper and getting your fingers stuck together with glue. Rolling play dough becomes remarkably tension melting and, as your children grow older and start asking to help in the kitchen, cooking becomes more of a joy and less of a chore. That occasion when you move on from packet Scooby Doo cakes to something from scratch is a seminal moment. (You also know that you are providing your children with lots of nice memories as well!) 9. Children force you to relax Eliza, mother of 3, just doesn't understand how some parents can get so stressed. "When my friends' children ask to see a video they rub their hands with glee and then shoot off to catch up on something. They always seem to be busy. I prefer to snuggle down on the sofa with the kids, a hot cup of Earl Grey and a plate of hob-nobs and chill out." And what better excuse is there than breastfeeding to actually sit down and do nothing? 10. Kids enrich your social life Organisations like the NCT and local toddler groups a ready-made source of mothers who want to be friends. Of course you are not going to want to become bosom buddies with all of them but meet enough and some will be on your wavelength. Social life also becomes less frantic. Spontaneous picnics, barbecues and outings become the order of the day. And rather than fret about what you are wearing to the latest trendy restaurant and whether you are going to be able to get a cab home, you just roll over to friends house, order a take way, open copious bottles of wine and put your kids to bed with hers when they start getting tetchy. It may not be glamorous, it may not be trendy, but when you're a parent who cares? Finally, children are a great excuse to... *Eat kiddie's sweets like Refreshers, Love Hearts, Black Jacks and Sherbet Dabs. *Get nostalgic over videos of Bagpuss, the Clangers, Hector's House and Mary, Mungo and Midge. *Go and see the latest Disney. *Buy the train set, Scaletrix or dolls house you always dreamed about when you were a child. *Revisit museums, landmarks and holiday destinations that charmed you in the past. * Rediscover your own family tree to teach them about your ancestors. *Say "when I was your age Grandma used to force me to eat my brussel sprouts." Back to More Articles |
| Posted: 01/04/2005 20:25:03 Last Updated: 25/04/2005 19:51:08 |
Chick Lit > Chick Lit Kids :: 10 unexpected ways Children Improve Your Life