Parenting is worth the wait

Tom Layson / guest Columnist

Being a guest columnist, my topic can’t always coincide with the calendar. Even so, I’m determined to get my nickel’s worth for Father’s Day.

As part of an exercise for health class, both my sons were once given a robotic baby to care for. The plastic baby’s computer chip sensed rough handling and simulated the need for feeding, sleep and potty.

To give my kids a clearer picture of fatherhood and how it truly relates to their exercise with the plastic baby, I wrote the following and offer it this belated Father’s Day:

So you have a baby! Congratulations.

This lesson’s point seems to be that babies are an inconvenience, that they frequently cry and annoy their caretakers. While true, I think it’s important to consider the big picture.

Consider what you are not dealing with.

You are not faced with having to make a living, and knowing that the child’s very existence depends on your ability to coax sustenance out of a competitive economic system that only grudgingly provides a sufficient living.

You’re not dealing with dirty diapers, sickness, feeding, car seats, playpens, safety issues, doctor visits, immunizations, colic, vomit, diarrhea, rashes or teething.

You’re not dealing with the gnawing feeling that you need to be saving more for college, and possibly working harder to provide better educational opportunities even though you have nothing left at the end of the day, or at the end of the month.

You’re not worried about driver’s licenses, scary dates, late homework, broken bones, standardized testing or heavy petting.

You’re not worried about war, early pregnancy, drunk driving, peer pressure, drugs, media influence, abuse, rape, robbery, bullying, bad grades, learning disabilities, autism, social adjustment or hurt feelings.

You’re not worried about outsourcing, health insurance, taxes, layoffs, bills, promises made, staying fit or trying to be a decent spouse.

So really, you really don’t have much to worry about at all. You’re really not a parent. You’re really not an adult. Your baby really isn’t a baby. All it does is cry, and most parents would take being annoyed by a little crying over the real worries of parenthood any day of the week.

That said, believe it or not, there’s actually nothing better than being a parent. But as is the case for everything else, there’s a time and a place.

Having a child when you’re in a committed relationship, when your education and professional skills are in place to support it, and your emotional maturity is sufficient to bear-up under the strain is about the best thing that can happen to a person.

Parenting before that time is one of the most difficult things that can happen to a person.

The lesson: Don’t let it happen before your time; it’s worth the wait.

You can link to Tom Layson’s blog through www.winpcr.com.