i’m having a great time

About how much fun is is being a full-time parent.  So why the doom and gloom everyone?

So this morning, me and the baby played in the bath, and i laughed my arse off at her pathetic attempts to eat yoghurt.  In a minute we’re going to the climbing wall with some friends – we’ll relax, have coffee, climb etc.

Yesterday I spent some time in a quiet music venue in leeds, getting to know the owners.  On Tuesday, i visited several friends and had a pub lunch.  On Monday we were in the library for storytime with all the other local mums and babies.

So yeah – this is way better than working.

Way better. I’m no longer surprised that many women never want to go back to work full time if they can afford it, after maternity leave.  This lifestyle is way nicer – more relaxing, entertaining and rewarding that working full time.

I know I’m not alone in this – i speak to lots of parents who are either off full time or working part time, and they love it too. Obviously, i don;t see any of the parents who are trapped home alone in a living baby-hell – so I can’t claim my sample is representative.  But then, I’m not entirely sure that stereotype of the really uber-stressed parent who can’t even get dressed actually exists.

The point of this post is to ask, then, why do so many off-work parents seem afraid to own up to what a great time they have?