May I have your attention please?

Attention future parents, moms to be, toddlers playing house and mommy on the playground-let this be your official warning: Parenting.IS.challenging.

And no, I am not just talking about the sleep deprivation and self induced crankiness that follows. While that first part sucks, apparently, no one tells you that it just gets more and more challenging. Sure, there are joys to go with it too--first smiles, first steps, first words, hugs, kisses, etc. And these are the things that will get you through. But truly, just like with pregnancy, the general public just does not forewarn you about all the not so fun stuff. Let's categorize this into five categories.

Sight-the THINGS you will see. Dear lord, prepare yourself. You will see kids put their hands in their pants, pull it out, and then (wait for it)-SNIFF. Ack. You will see way too much ass crack. You will see nose picking. You will see too much.

Sound-the NOISE. The level of noise. The whining. The crying, The screaming. The repeating the things you say, and it is only the choice words at the most inopportune times such as shit, dammit, and so on.

Smell-See my first anecdote in sight. Way too much poop smell, and vomit smell. Too much.

Taste-well, this can be good or bad. Sometimes, you have to taste a child made concoction. Something like raisins and peanut butter and pickles all stuck together in a ball. Ack. On the other hand, a sweet slobbery popsicle kiss can be oh so sweet.

Touch-While there can a lot of touching, too much sometimes, there really is nothing as sweet as a kid snuggle or a bear hug. The problem is, those seem to be fewer and farther between lately.

In any event, the point is this: parenting is like a roller coaster. You make it up the hill of sleep deprivation and then you breeze down the hill of they can't move yet or talk yet and all they do is smile! AH. But before you know it, you are climbing the hill of the terrible twos. And then you coast down through consistent naptimes. Then you climb through potty training and breeze through NO.MORE.DIAPERS. And then before you know it, you realize you have made it through all the checklists and now, your primary role, as it has always been but possibly clouded by those milestones and checklists, is to raise a good, honest human being. One who makes good choices, who is kind and honest, who can make friends easily and can be a loyal friend. One who will look to you and watch your every move and will try to be like you, thinking you are the be all and end all. Now is the time that I should be on my best behavior, at a time that I feel is so challenging and overwhelming as a parent. Sigh.

So, let me reiterate. Parenting. Is. Challenging. Buckle up. You are in for a wild ride.