Welcome to Parenthood

Try looking after a baby, running your own business, cooking, cleaning, answering the phone, housework, answering the door, meal times, changing nappies, bath time etc etc

Needless to say you need a strict routine and timetable. I don't usually start to wind down until at least 9pm at night

Same here Jola.. and i've got two kids!!.

Welcome to our world Spike

I've actually heard grown men say they have the utmost respect for Mothers - they just don't know *how* we do it

i dont know how you do it either i had to look after screaming 8 month old twins for what was supposed to be just 3/4 hours but it ended up being 11 hours i was a walking zombie when i left and have changed my mind again about having kids.

Always wanted to be a househusband, look after the house and kids, paternal instincts kick in. Though in the modern age two parent incomes are needed

Doubt I will even get the option real sad that men cant go through giving birth and bringing new life into the world as well.

(Edited by Gopher 08/04/2003 14:51)

Well Gopher, while a lot of families rely on a dual income, i'm one of those ever increasingly rare people: a stay at home mum I always said that if i had kids, then i'd stay home to take care of them, especially in their early years. Yeah, money is tight and i realise that i'm really fortunate to be in the position of being able to stay home, but i wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I often think about looking into getting a job, but i am not trained for anything, it has been over 10 years since i last held down a job which would mean i'd probably have to go to college to train and that doesn't even include Ray's shifts which are often unpredictable and child care is really expensive, and how many childminders would take on an autistic child as well as Hannah?. I know they exist, but they are few and far between.

Okay, this is starting to turn into a bit of a rant, so i'll stop there, but Gopher, you just don't know what's around the corner. You may one day get your wish

And i know there's new legislation that says firms have to be more flexible with parents with young children and disabled children where shifts are concerned, as well as now being given two weeks paid paternity leave now.

there's a big outcry for foster parents over the last couple of years and nowadays you can be single (unlike when you had to be married and own your own home) and they're helping out a lot with finances too if you did it you could have as many kids as you could handle i used to think about it when i was a 15 that i would help look after kids and have a big home for them all to be safe in but then i looked after satan's spawn and i kinda lost that caring giving side

(Edited by EvilWillow 08/04/2003 20:50)

i wouldnt trust you with my beer can let alone my son!!!

Welcome to the ever-so-easy world of the mother!!! Everybody thinks it's a doddle till they do it. Big round of applause for the mothers of Tangent, I say!!!