I always knew I wanted to have kids. That was never the question, however, I did not always like kids. More specifically I did not always like other people’s kids. Now, having two kids, has helped me realize that it was not that I did not like kids, but more accurately, I did not understand them.
I am an only child who was brought up in a very protective environment. Growing up I was pretty isolated. I never came into contact with other little children until I went to kindergarten. Basically I had no real knowledge of how children operate.
Spending each day figuring out how my daughter and son work, what they like and don’t like, how they react to different things, has helped me gain a whole new understanding for children. I no longer regard children as these cute little frightening bundles. I communicate with them, wave hello and try to talk to them to find out things like their names and age. I actually started taking interest in other people’s children, not just because they are cute, but because they are in fact people.
Yesterday, when a mother with a cute little boy came into my office I could not help but smile and engage him in conversation. I could not help but wonder if my little boy will look and act like that in a few years. I was smiling from the inside. It is as if having kids transformed a part of me that I did not know was there.
How did having kids change your perspective?
