Our Little Secret: The Best Things About Parenthood (Aside From the Kids, of Course)
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Ask any mom or dad the best thing about parenthood, and they're likely to wax poetic about how wonderful their kids are, the unconditional love, and any number of variations on that theme. And they're completely, totally right. But what about items No. 18, 29, and 46 on our lists? There are plenty of less-pronounced (and OK, less important) reasons that being a parent rocks. Here, a few that make our lists . . . whether we like to admit them out loud or not!
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There's something so timeless about a Scholastic book form.
You know you were psyched to learn that these were still around.
You get to play with this guy!
There's no one quite like the Elf on the Shelf to get those creative juices flowing.
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You can do this on Halloween.
You know you've been plotting it since you found out you were pregnant.
Your priorities are crystal clear.
Making decisions, both big and small, is suddenly easier, as you have a more obvious top priority than ever before.
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Your house, your rules.
No matter what your role is in the office, you call the shots at home.
A snowstorm is a (very, very) good thing.
Prekids, news of Winter weather was a total headache. Now you're as excited about snowball flights and sledding as they are.
About 85 percent of you officially outgrew playing with Barbies.
The other 15 percent is jumping for joy inside to have an excuse!
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You always have an excuse.
I'm not one to advocate flaking on plans — with friends, family, work, or anything else. But once you have kids, you can always pull "The little one's come down with a cold," or "We couldn't get a sitter!" card when need be. Little white lies aren't the end of the world . . . when you only employ them just once in a while.
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You just might get to see your husband wearing a feathery tiara.
File this one under things that you never in a million years thought would happen. Source: Instagram user dbloom1
Sometimes, the kids menu just sounds better.
No matter how sophisticated your palate, there are some days when you simply can't beat a grilled cheese or a burger with fries.
The holidays regain their magic.
Seriously, you haven't had this much fun since you were in the single digits yourself.
No one is allowed to judge your coffee consumption.
After a sleepless night, a Venti is more than justified.
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You get more joy out of doing less.
Date night can constitute binge-watching your favorite show and a glass of wine, and you're not just OK with it — you're ecstatic about it.
You don't need to justify having these in the house at all times.
Needs no explanation, right?