Kimberly Nunn

English 1106

Compare and Contrast

Responsibility of being a parent vs. Being a non-parent

     When planning for children, do you ever think of all the responsibilities that come with it?  I really didn’t have the chance to.  I got pregnant unexpectedly.  I found out the hard way of all the responsibilities that came with children.  I now have the extra responsibility of taking my son with me or finding a babysitter if I want to do anything.  I can still do a lot of things I used to though.  Being a parent helps me realize what I was like when I was a child myself and has helped me grow up.  My responsibilities as a mother are different from when I had no kids, but in some ways they are the same.

      I can still be a kid most of the time because I get to play with toys all day with my son.  Our special time together is going to the park and playing tag.  Of course, I let him catch me otherwise I hear him say, “Mom, you are not being fair! I can never catch you!” It usually ends with a screaming fit.  We go to the beach in the summer, but now I have the responsibility of having to stay near shore.  I can’t go off on my own anymore because I have the life of a small child with me.  I have to help him swim.

     Another responsibility that I have is that I have to constantly watch what I say and do.  I have to remind myself that there are little eyes and ears watching me.  Before I could feel “free” to say what I wanted to and do what I wanted to do.  When words come out of my mouth I have to realize that there is a five-year-old around me that can repeat things.  In a way that’s good because it helps me watch my language and other times it just sucks because I need days that I can just curse to the top of my lungs.

    The one major responsibility that I have now as a parent is buying more groceries.  I have to buy for two now instead of one.  Before I could save money and get only what I needed for myself and now I have to keep extra Scooby snacks around for my son. My shopping for clothes hasn’t changed much because he gets all his stuff from his grandparents.  They have a fund set up for him so if I need anything, they get it for him.  I still get go and buy him clothes that I like.  I can still hang out with my friends though because they have kids too.  Otherwise, when I so things on my own I have to pay a babysitter.

     Overall, I have more responsibilities now then I ever have.  I don’t get much “me” time anymore, which is very important to me in order to keep my sanity.  I love being a parent because it helps me be a more responsible adult.  Not saying that anyone should use a child to become more responsible, but it does waken a person up to reality.  Having kids is a lot of extra responsibility, but if people are smart and have fun with it, they still can be the person they always were and do the things they always did.  I still go out every once in a while with the girls, but I just have to pay the extra price to do that.