The hardest job in the world

I would say.. being a parent is the hardest job in the world.

Becoming a parent does not come with an instruction manual for all the things you will face. It is one of the most important and difficult things you can do as well as one of the most rewarding. To raise a child is an enormous responsibility which is usually taken for granted and for which there is little training. Most parents learn as they go, influenced by the way they were brought up or by what they have read or watched others do.

Parenting styles may be different but we all share a common goal. We want our children to turn into healthy, happy, well adjusted, successful, honest, caring, responsible adults who will be respectful of others feelings and property, be able to get along with others and be able to cope with difficulties!! It is a lot to ask. Your children and your community rely on you to do this well.

The parenting challenge

Being a parent means creating a loving, safe environment for your children as they grow from baby to toddler, right through to the teenage years. You'll need different skills for each stage, but at all times your child will depend on you. You'll become the expert on your child and on what they need to grow into happy, healthy adults.

Loving your child, with no strings attached, is the most important thing you can do. But you'll also have to make a huge number of decisions about the best way to bring up your child. This responsibility brings joy and excitement, but it can also be overwhelming, frustrating or even boring at times.

Most people manage these emotional and practical challenges with a mixture of love, help from relatives and friends, good advice, common sense and luck.

When I was in Indonesia I wasn't exposed with this parenting knowledge because you are not alone there are a lot of helpers around the parent: the nanny, the maid, the grand parents, the aunties and uncles and etc. Look after children and observing full on parents without the helpers open my mind about the challenges. You can figure out the parenting style of the parents by looking at the children attitude, which children have boundaries at home and which children get everything they want and the parents let them do anything they want.

On the early days you are worry about nutrition intake, food, brain development, social capacity, etc. Beside that you also have to deal when they are teens, dealing with their behaviour problem and so on.

It's a never ending work, but what you give on the early days will be a lifetime investment.

Well, I am not a parent yet and I would love to be one, one day when I'm ready.

You may and may not agree with my opinion but this is my 2 cents :)