There’s nothing like having a kid to put a perspective on your life.

Things are Different. Your life does indeed change. For the few blurry eyed, sleepless months, you are looking at things differently and you’re praising the gods for caffeine (or caffiend, as an old friend of mine used to call it). When your child looks at the beauty of a blade of grass in the backyard, you’re not usually thinking, “Dangit, I really need to mow this before I lose sight of the house.” You’re thinking, “Huh. I didn’t think grass was so interesting. But he thinks it is. Look at that….”

One of my recurring thoughts is how things are for me as a parent versus how they were for my parents when they were parenting me. There were times, when I was a kid, that I just didn’t understand why I couldn’t go play in the street at 11 at night. Or why I even had to go to bed at all. It seemed unfair.

But now - I Get It.

Below, I give you a list of things I Get. And now I can admit for the entire Internet world to see - Yes, mom and dad. You were right.

* Now I know why you wanted me to drink my milk. Because sometimes, that was the only protein that I would get during the day between my Pixie Stix breakfast and my dinner of gummy bears.
* Bedtime was not only important to avoid being the Monster of the Morning because I would inevitably be so grumpy. It was so you guys could get recovery time from me too.
* I couldn’t always understand why you were always so tired after running around the backyard with me in 100 degree heat with 100% humidity. I wanted to run more. You wanted to sit down under the umbrella and have an adult beverage. That said, I couldn’t always understand what the big deal was with that weird smelling stuff in the brown bottles. Pop seemed so much more palatable. Now I understand.
* “Because I said so” seemed like the most common answer to all my questions and I didn’t always understand that. Now I know that it’s because it’s a good answer. Especially if you’ve been saying it over and over again.
* I thought it was cruel that you wouldn’t give into my demands, especially when I pitched a crying fit. Now I know that if you do, it sets a precedent and rewards that sort of behavior.
* Now I know why spaghetti sauce tasted kinda strange at times. Because you were sneaking pureed veggies in to get me to eat them. I do the same thing now.
* I thought you just wanted to erase all my hard work when you were constantly chasing me to wash my hands after they got all muddy. Now I know that you didn’t want it smeared all over the wall, because mud on the wall can be tricky to clean.
* I never understood why you would occasionally have arguments. I thought they were silly. Now I know that they sometimes are silly, but they’re still necessary.
* I didn’t get the whole concept of money, finances, bills, mortgages or anything like that. You’d say, “You don’t need to worry about that kind of thing. Why don’t you go play in the backyard while mom and I sit here at the table?” Now we do the same thing.
* I didn’t always understand why you wouldn’t let me have a new doll, even after I got one the week before. Now I know that you can have too many toys, especially when you’re the one cleaning them up off the floor after stubbing your toe on them.
* I couldn’t get why we couldn’t have McDonalds every night. Now I know that you not only couldn’t afford it all the time, but it wasn’t particularly good for me either.
* I hated getting dragged around various stores all the time to get new clothes. Now I know that it wasn’t just a matter of outgrowing them. My appearance was also a reflection on you. No wonder you had a hissyfit every time I splashed in a puddle before we went out for dinner!
* I didn’t understand what you saw in that thick, black disgusting beverage you drank all the time. Now that I do it myself out of necessity, I understand. And how I do love it.
* I thought that all that kissing and hugging you and daddy would do was icky. Now I understand that it’s not only important, but kinda nice.
* I caught you lying on the phone to grandma when you said that we couldn’t come over on the weekend to visit because we had visitors coming over, when we didn’t. Now I get that even though you want to say no, sometimes it’s difficult and complicated.
* I got mad when you told me that I had to turn off the TV. But I know now that you wanted me to spend my time enjoying my childhood in the backyard or with friends, rather than with cartoon characters that might not be on next season.
* That yes, you really are a child only once. And that time should be enjoyed to its extent. Sure, you can pretend to be a child when you’re older, but people will look at you funny. You’re a child when you’re a child only. Afterwards, you’re an adult and you spend some of your time wishing you were a child again.

Becoming a parent has definitely made me understand and respect my parents more and what trouble they had raising me and the sacrifices they made. I’m doing the same thing now with Alex. Now, not only are were on the same page, but we’re also on the same boat.

It’s called the SS Parenthood. Ahoy.